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Hilton Head Guest Services

Hilton Head Guest Services review: Credit Card Fraud 41

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2:05 pm EST
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On 21 April 08 my wife and I attended a time share sales presentation at Coral Sands Resort, Hilton Head, South Carolina by Hilton Head Guest Services. We had purchased a prepaid vacation offer for an agreed price of $100 on 2 Feb 08. I gave Hilton Head our credit card number and authorized them to only withdraw $100. We attended the sales presentation but were not impressed nor did we buy. Later we discovered they had resubmitted an additional service fee of $200 and they have refused to explain what the fee is for.

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Hilton Head Guest Services - rip off 22
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41 comments
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Adriennepu
Kennesaw, US
May 24, 2013 10:02 am EDT

I am so disgusted with This Company . We canceled did not purchase the Timeshare and somehow they are reporting on our Credit Report that we owe them 5, 000. Plus they reported us to a Nasty Collection Agency . When I attempted to situation to them they were said you Owe this and would not let me speak. We never used this Timeshare and it is a real Scam . Do not get suckered in to this Scam . We will continue to Fight this Battle.

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Blessed6
Covington, US
Jan 31, 2013 2:51 pm EST
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I just got off the phone the Lea whom is the portfolio manager for Coral Reefs, she was so nasty to us. My husband just underwent a double transplant alone with me being a disabled veteran. We are last on on time share maintenance fees and the are trying to charge us three times what the original time share would be. They are threatening to put us in foreclosure and not offering anything but us paying some extremely high monthly payment which we can not pay. I offered to come up with maintenance fee and asked if they could drop the late fees to get us back on track and they have refused. This company is heartless and I hope no one ever buys from them. I am in the hospital with my husband right not typing this when I should be tending to him. I hate this company. The girl LEa told me they make their money off of people like us who cant afford our bills and my husbands kidney failure was not her concern. She told me they would put a lien on our home and they would get their money. I asked her if we could just turn it back over to them and the lady was just plain mean. Not a good company.

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CCD10909
, US
Oct 09, 2012 10:33 am EDT

Reba Management Leigh Williams (Coral Sands) is the most ignorant, insensative person I have spoken to. Who does she think she is talking to? She needs a Dale Carnigne course on how to speak withpeople..
What a B____> Be nicer, you will get farther.

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GlendaNC
, US
Sep 27, 2012 6:05 pm EDT
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Wow! This a great site. I received a call today from Resorts Anytime notifying me I had "won" a year's membership and all I have to do is fork over "the first year's dues of $199 and a $150 processing fee". Granted, after reading this nightmare site, I'll stick with Priceline and other discount sites and keep my cash in my pocket. Thanks for the 411.

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rinkrat
Simcoe, CA
Apr 16, 2012 11:20 am EDT

I think that we have just been scammed by Coral Resorts. We went to HH Island and sat in on a sales pitch by Phil Lucchese who wanted us to give back our developer week that was given to us when we purchased 64, 00 points a few years back. He stated that they could rent it out for $2400 per week or more and that we would get three cheques for that amount which we could put towards the purchase of 15, 000 more points and then after that we would receive cheques annually for our developer week. All we would have to pay is $600. We just received a letter from Coral Resorts Lawyers who probably have taught them what to say and what not to say, we have to pay $188 for 84 months if we wish to do that or pay the $8600 which basically tells me that there will be no cheques coming. I am not sure how this Phil Lucchese can continue to hurt people as I have read. When we were there the room was full of people likely hearing the same story that we heard. They make it sound so true we should have known that it was too good to be true. If you are reading this and you have not purchased a time share please beware if you have and you do not want to pay any more or you have stopped paying what happened? We are really tired of this whole deal and would like to get rid of this timeshare.

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lovethebeach
, US
Apr 20, 2011 12:14 pm EDT
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My whole family including one sick kid had a terrible experience with this so-called 'offer to help' at the WalMart kiosk with the mis-leading 'visitor information' sign. I believed what the man said that they were trying to help us. BUT IT WAS JUST A TRICK TO LURE US INTO A HI-PRESSURE TIMESHARE SALES PITCH WITH AN ABUSIVE SALESMAN. I WILL NEVER GO TO HHI AGAIN. I HOLD WAL-MART, HHI, HHGS, CORAL RESORTS ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UN-NECESSARY MIS-TREATMENT. (note - I retyped this since the quotes messed up the formatting above.)

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lovethebeach
, US
Apr 20, 2011 11:25 am EDT
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MY WHOLE FAMILY INCLUDING ONE SICK KID HAD A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SO-CALLED "OFFER TO HELP" HI-PRESSURE HIDDEN TIMESHARE SALES PITCH AND ABUSIVE SALES PEOPLE. I WILL NEVER GO TO HHI AGAIN. I HOLD WAL-MART, HHI, CORAL RESORTS ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UN-NECESSARY MIS-TREATMENT.

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Stephanie2011
New York, US
Jan 12, 2011 6:26 pm EST

Hilton Head Guest Services is the best vacation co. I have ever met. They have a friendly staff and always ready and willing to go the extra mile to make your vacation better and more enjoyable. I and my hole family have been vacationing with them for over 5 years, and every time when we go to Hilton Head Guest Services we feel like going home. I don't know what all this people problem is, but I think they did not listen to Hilton Head Guest Services or Coral Resort Services offers and they created a fantasy in their mind and got disappointed. But Coral Resorts as well as Hilton Head Guest Services tell you over the phone everything before you even agree with there terms and conditions and they even send you a mail and e-mail with everything written black on white. But one time when I was checking in, there was a couple that had no idea what was written on the letter send by Hilton Head Guest Services containing all the vacation details and this letter was serving for check-in purposes also. The couple was asking the front desk representative questions that were answered in the letter. That's how I figured out what is the case. So, I strongly advise you to draw your conclusion based on your own experience, like me. And not always what other people say is true. Have a fantastic vacation, Hilton Head Island, SC is a gorgeous vacation Paradise Island. Thank you.

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Timeshare/Vacation Rentals
New York, US
Jan 09, 2011 4:32 pm EST

Hilton Head Guest Services, vacationplay.com. Hilton Head Guest Services is the best co. to book your vacation with. Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services offers a wide range of vacation options, some include a timeshare tour if you want to pay almost nothing for your vacation or you can pay a discounted price for your vacation and not go on any timeshare tour, but still get most of the perks and discounts that you can use on the Hilton Head Island while you vacation. Hilton Head Guest Services, Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com tell you up front everything and do not lie to you. If you got charged $200 on you timeshare tour vacation on Hilton Head, that is because you did not respect the agreement of attending the tour or you attended the tour but your spouse did not or you did not stay till the end of the tour. The Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services/Coral Resorts sales people are friendly and they only show you the resort and of course they would like you to buy, but if you don't, that is OK, it is not mandatory of course. Hilton Head Guest Services hope you had a fabulous time with them and on your vacation on Hilton Head and spread the word about the Coral Resorts offers. A Hilton Head Guest Services, Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com sales person can tell in the first 5 min if you are interested or not so it would be non-sense for them to pressure you if you're not a buyer. But Hilton Head Guest Services, Coral Resorts respect that and give you gifts. Everything people say in this comments and complaints is not true, because they either did not listen at all what they've been told, or they ignored everything and payed smart by trying to get the cheap or free vacation, but not do the timeshare tour. That's always the case, people want everything and don't want to do nothing. If you are that kind of people, than just book a discounted vacation at minimum price that only Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services/Coral Resorts can offer you, being the biggest vendor on Hilton Head Island and you won't have any reason to complaint. Thank you and have the best vacation ever.
I say chose Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com, Hilton Head Guest Services for your next vacation on Hilton Head Island, SC.

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Vacation Rentals
New York, US
Jan 09, 2011 4:26 pm EST
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Hilton Head Guest Services, Coral Resorts. Hilton Head Hospitality is the best co. to book your vacation with. Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services offers a wide range of vacation options, some include a timeshare tour if you want to pay almost nothing for your vacation or you can pay a discounted price for your vacation and not go on any timeshare tour, but still get most of the perks and discounts that you can use on the Hilton Head Island while you vacation. Hilton Head Guest Services, Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com tell you up front everything and do not lie to you. If you got charged $200 on you timeshare tour vacation on Hilton Head, that is because you did not respect the agreement of attending the tour or you attended the tour but your spouse did not or you did not stay till the end of the tour. The Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services/Coral Resorts sales people are friendly and they only show you the resort and of course they would like you to buy, but if you don't, that is OK, it is not mandatory of course. Hilton Head Guest Services hope you had a fabulous time with them and on your vacation on Hilton Head and spread the word about the Coral Resorts offers. A Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com sales person can tell in the first 5 min if you are interested or not so it would be non-sense for them to pressure you if you're not a buyer. But they respect that and give you gifts. Everything people say in this comments and complaints is not true, because they either did not listen at all what they've been told, or they ignored everything and payed smart by trying to get the cheap or free vacation, but not do the timeshare tour. That's always the case, people want everything and don't want to do nothing. If you are that kind of people, than just book a discounted vacation at minimum price that only Hilton Head Hospitality/Hilton Head Guest Services/Coral Resorts can offer you, being the biggest vendor on Hilton Head Island and you won't have any reason to complaint. Thank you and have the best vacation ever.
I say chose Hilton Head Hospitality, LLC, vacationplay.com, Hilton Head Guest Services for your next vacation on Hilton Head Island, SC.

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oldmanbeachwalker
Hilton Head Island, US
Nov 17, 2010 10:26 pm EST
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I think they were referring to he communication about being billed every year for a tri-annual and they only bill once every 3 years. The problem is during he tours the sales people tell them it can be paid every year divided by the total. ES Financial once they get info game on. The only way you will go anywhere with a tri-annual is to book it 45 days or less for 9000 points but you can only book at week resorts - NOT point resorts. and if anything is available. You have to look exactly 45 days out - no sooner - no later. Good Luck!

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D. Patterson
Frankfort, US
Nov 16, 2010 3:42 pm EST
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As many of you out there, we vacationed at Hilton Head Island last year 09'. Unfortunately, we were scammed by Coral Resorts as well. We were told things like all you have to pay for a week stay anywhere is $149 dollars and the most would be $169 dollars. When we tried to book a stay we told through RCI they informed us that we were mislead. Now we have a maintenance fee that we were told was every year for $299 dollars. We recieved a bill for $956.62 when we called Reba Management the folks who sent the bill, they informed us that was for 3 years, something we were never told. Nor does our contract state that the maintenance fee will be billed in a lump sum. When we were buying we were told that the finance company ES Financial would contact us to set up payment arrangements for our timeshare. Coral Resorts give them our financial banking information to automatically debit my checking account without my authorization. Over the last 6 months I have tried to contact Coral Resorts with no one to return any calls. I am contacting the South Carolina, Ohio, and United States Attorney General's Offices to file a complaint. CORAL RESORTS IS A SCAM, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING!

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whm
wagram, US
Nov 01, 2010 2:14 am EDT
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Ok I am getting very nervous. My husband and I just bought into Resorts Anytime in August for vaction time not timeshare. There were over 100 people there with us doing the same thing. Normally I do not do such things. What do I need to do to get help. We have four kids and can not afford to be taken for a ride.

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chipmike
Otego, US
Oct 21, 2010 10:09 am EDT
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There are a bunch of us that were either taken or misunderstood the information that was presented. We are also a victim of Coral Resorts but first I blame myself for not doing a better job of looking out for my families interest. With that said, what happens if we default? For someone that has very good credit what does a time share default do to your credit rating? Will creditors consider what type of default? I have sent several letters out to attorney's in South Carolina. We got 1 response $250.00/hr. Has anyone defaulted? I will not continue to make payments on this contract. We have children that will need student loans. How will this effect our ability to co-sign student loans? Any advice would be great, Thank You! Mike

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oldmanbeachwalker
Hilton Head Island, US
Sep 08, 2010 4:53 pm EDT
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Welcome to the information age...aviod taking a tmeshare tour just to get a free dinner or cash. You are waisting everyone's time. Use your common sense and look up resales on EBAY or other sites if you are seriuos about buying a timeshare. Save money and time so you don't have to complain about how you are treated during a timeshare tour. Not unless you just crawled out from under a rock...the whole tour and presentation should be well known by all by now. And if you pay less than $18, 000 for a week from the developer -IT'S NOT GOING TO GET YOU BACK TO THE RESORT OR ANY OTHER RESORT. Buy resale for 95% OFF or even sometimes 0 cost just closing cost. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Good luck and happy travels...

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kotal
Hartwell, US
Sep 08, 2010 4:06 pm EDT
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My wife and i got took by the same people. I keep getting phone calls from places i have never heard of at the presentation. I have been told a bunch of lies.

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Victim12-2009
, US
Aug 30, 2010 10:24 am EDT
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I have had a similiar experience to those previously described. I wonder if collectively enough information could be collected to initiate an investigation by either the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service?

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Clue Boy
Miami Beach, US
Aug 22, 2010 8:52 pm EDT

To all people interested in timeshare:
Take it from someone who's had 25 years experience. Do not ever buy anything at a timeshare presentation! There may be a few honest ones in the business, but most of them will lie through their teeth.

JUST SAY NO AND WALK OUT!

The worst experience I've ever had is with Coral Sands on Hilton Head Island.

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oldmanbeachwalker
Hilton Head Island, US
Aug 19, 2010 2:06 pm EDT
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Stealth Pilot...BLUIS outlined everything correct going on at Coral resorts. I used to sell timeshare there and everything she said is CORRECT! THEY LIE!

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rippedoffbyscamartists
Well, US
Jul 31, 2010 9:54 am EDT

Please be warned. These people at Coral Resorts are scam artists. They basically have no integrity and will readily commit sales fraud to get you to buy a timeshare. They give South Carolina and Hilton Head a reputation of being sleazy which is said because it is beautiful.

DO NOT BUY A TIMESHARE FROM THESE PEOPLE.

They trade as or are affiliated with the following companies:

Coral Reef
Coral Resorts
Coral Sands
Island Links Homeowners Assoc.
RCI Golden Crown Resort
Reba Management
Reba Management, Inc
Sun & Seas Vacations
Trew Holdings Inc

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HRBIII
, US
Jul 31, 2010 8:56 am EDT

First of all who is this rebuttal guy that keeps posting after every complaint...how much are they paying you to keep your eyes peeled? I mean I know there are alot of people out of work right now, but covering up for a company who clearly scams customers to get a dollar!?! I can relate to these complaints, they have taken over $220. from my family and had the nerve to call back and try to get more. Look bottom line is this: This company is doing things DIFFERENT, they are only after a buck! I own other time shares, but this company is so bad they give you trouble BEFORE you even get to their location. JUST BEWARE! OK REBUTTAL GUY YOUR TURN

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Transplant
Tega Cay, US
Jul 20, 2010 10:11 am EDT

WOW! What blows my mind is that if everyone thinks that timeshares are a scam then why do they continue to buy them? Here is a novel idea: Make your payments on time, remember that this is a timshare not your own personal condo that you can use on a whim, and know what you are signing. 90% of the people that attend these "free weekends" have no intentions of buying. They just want a freebie! And for those that have bought you should have been more dilligent when purchasing. My family has owned timeshare for 20 plus years and never had a bad experience. So when I went to a "free weekend" with the intention of buying I knew what I was getting into. Of course the fees are outrageous! It's a timeshare. My advice to all those who feel scammed; sign up for a hotel rewards program and book hotels to your hearts content. Let me know how much you have spent that summer and I gurantee it is more than your much complained about maintnenance fees!

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EXS
Atlanta, US
Jul 18, 2010 5:27 am EDT

We were contacted 8/09 regarding a FREE vacation in HHI, SC THAT WE’D ALREADY EARNED. A refundable deposit of $150 upon completion of the vacation was charged to my CC in 8/09 w/o any disclosure of terms & conditions in any form prior to or during the aforementioned transaction. On 5-5-10, we asked confirmation for the trip & rec’d it via email. The email clearly stated that a tour was to be arranged upon arrival & we’d receive a resort ‘gift’ of $150 as their way of saying thanks. But a NEW $200 penalty was INTRODUCED in the event we failed to come for the tour. We were told prior to the start of the tour that we would receive whatever gift promised & return of the deposit in total of $300. We received only $150 & were told that was all we’d be getting. Back home we contacted agents who charged the $150 deposit & asked for the refund. They denied it & told us that the promised gift was in fact our deposit. This process created stress & aggravation for our family w/3 kids under 10 yrs during vacation. They placed us in a unit that was going thru repairs & renovation that put our family at risk like stepping on nails exposed from worn out carpet tacking boards at the kitchen/Living room threshold. My son & I stepped on the nails that could have caused an infection because of their negligence. They intentionally & deliberately in a deceptive manner: 1. Embedded “Terms & Conditions” loaded w/penalties, fees, & charges in the event that we decided to makes changes, cancellation, or not accept them via a link attached to an email months after the deposit rather than upfront for the purpose of advancing their product & serving their own interests. 2. Held $150 deposit from 8/09 & never disclosed any “Terms & Conditions” prior to 5/5/10. By doing so, it was difficult to make any changes to travel arrangements. 3. Made advantage of our extreme hardship reaching all parties involved during vacation when their agents never returned such calls in timely manner.

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bluis
, MX
Jun 12, 2010 12:10 am EDT

I met a Coral Resorts' sales woman that tried to scam us today but SHE COULDN'T. She used all her ugly "sales tactics", it was funny and pathetic. She has a nasty, waxy face FULL of makeup ( darker that her skin) trying to cover the pain of working in this kind of "JOB", she said many times "I AM JUST DOING MY JOB". She was just using our time to trick us. She just wanted to hear " YES WE LOVE YOUR CHEAP IDEA" and take our $24, 000. She even said that she loves YOGA, off course she needs to breathe deep after all that horror movie acting. This woman was the most nasty %^$&^%^(*&^&*(&&*&# that I have ever seen. I feel sorry for her and her team of idiots that can not do anything better in life.

If you (you know who you are) read this we were the pretty, young and SUPER smart couple that said no to your [censor]... DO YOURSELF A FAVOR FIND A JOB IN MCDONALD'S with the speed that you walk and talk, they will like that!

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bluis
, MX
Jun 11, 2010 11:41 pm EDT

So glad I found this site, my wife and I had a similar 'tour' experience. Was offered a free night's stay at a local hotel in return for 90 minutes of our time, 'no obligation' tour, said Marsha (a real airhead) at the tour kiosk at Walmart in Hilton Head. We were suspicious but interested in learning about the timeshare process. The next moring we went to their offices and found a group of 30+ people waiting for the tour, I was expecting a group experience, possibly riding a bus to the property to see it first. Instead we were guided to another office room and were assigned to a representative that I really wish I'd never met. Not even sure what her name was (still so upset about this I've blocked it out), short, 40's, blond woman with a waxy appearance and fake smile quickly started asking us questions about our vacation preferences and personal life. No explanation of how the process worked, just how it's the best thing since sliced bread. She offered us a package of timeshare points for $25, 000 at 14% interest (after she kindly reduced it from 17%, how nice). After 30 minutes and many triangle diagrams later we hopped in our car (thankfully declined her offer to ride with her) and drove to the Coral Resort property and the Westin Resort. Should have known what we were in for with her, she talked fast, walked fast, and drove extremely fast, could barely keep up with her black SUV (which all of the 'sales representative's' have, kind of looks like the mafia). Got to the property and checked out the nice 3 bedroom unit and pool, next went to the Westin resort, nice place for sure. That's when it hit the fan, while viewing the beautiful beach and ocean waves in the distance she asked for the business and demanded that we make our decision immediately. We explained that we'd need to research their company and compare shop (like we do all major purchases), and review our finances. At that point it was like night an day, the witch came out. She said that this wasn't possible and we had to make our decision right away and if we'd turn it down then we could never purchase from them at a later time. She kept referring to 'my deal' and about 'my offer' like she was the owner of the company. We declined and requested to end the tour, she urged us to go back to their office which we did (mistake), she became even more rude and started pushing us to sign a booklet (could have been the contract, I have no idea), we just said no to signing anything. I explained that we were lied to that there was no obligation to buy based upon the tour but at this point we didn't care and would gladly pay for the comped hotel room just to get them the hell off of our backs. She wasn't satisfied with this and kept spouting gibberish like 'but you agreed to this' trying to manipulate us into proceeding (not likely). We then told her that we were done and were going to leave and she grabbed her manager, a 60's guy who claimed that he worked for Disney for years and retired into this line of so-called work. I told him that we'd been lied to twice now and that I had been genuinely interested in their product but due to their treatment would never consider working with them, in fact would warn people. He didn't understand why we would feel this way and continued on with the sales process, even trying to have us sign the booklet (contract) in the end saying that 'you have to' to get out of the deal. We declined and told them to go to hell where they belong (and probably eventually will be). Totally minipulative, deceiptful, rude company, can't believe that they are allowed to run a 'business' in such a nice place as Hilton Head. The local BBB must already know about this, sounds like there are many people with the same story, freaking shame they don't snuff this out. Luckily for us it was only our pride and not our wallet taking the hit.

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jnjg
indiana, US
May 30, 2010 6:50 pm EDT

Has anyone had any issues or complaints about Resorts Anytime?

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goody2shews516
Telford, US
May 24, 2010 5:30 pm EDT
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Minutes after making my post Coral Resorts called to sell me more vacation time! They really have no clue do they?

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goody2shews516
Telford, US
May 24, 2010 4:59 pm EDT
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My husband and I eloped in 2007 and didn't have a honeymoon. Shortly after that I had bad pet scans and x rays and had a lobectomy. It was a stressful time and we thought we could use a vacation. That is where Coral Sands comes in we went on there discounted vacation and then to the sales presentation. We told them I was ill and it was not for us. They kept us there over four hous and pressured us into what seemed to be a half way decent deal to buy the sun and seas vacation software deal. They promised I could visit my family in New England for $299 for 7 days any time I wanted as long as I gave them a 60 days in advance notice. We gave them all of our savings to buy it. They promised us buy one get one free air fare and a cruise when we bought it. We have never been able to find a vacation where we want to go for $299 it is a total lie the prices are a heck of alot more than 299.00 . no cruise, no air fare. We were highly upset and we decided we would at least use the return trip they gave us for signing up. We went and again we were forced to go on the tour. I just had back surgery and I am not able to sit for more than thirty minutes. Danny Taylor came over and talked to my husband like he was an idiot. I have been in some stressful situations but this was totally intense. I told my husband " NO I dont trust him, " That is when he said I will put my little girl on the phone and got his child on the phone to say where her daddy takes her on vacation. I was very uncomfortable and in pain. He brought us in the back office for hours and then sicked his wife Lachelle on me who fast talked me and my husband intto it saying all the right things. We were fools not once but twice. I told these people we did not make enough money that I couldnt afford this and I am in too much pain that I knew already that ccoming here was a mistake physically and fiinancially. They wouldn't stop for any excuse. My husband is a proud man and would do anything for me. Meet us one time and you will see that first thing. Danny seen this like a shark and played on my husband weakness because of me being ill and made it sound like he was a " bad husband " if he didn't take the " deal ". We got a 940.00 maintence fee in the mail right at Christmas after my husband colapsed with what we think was mild heart attack. He did not work for 6 monts and I have had 3 more surgeries sincee this trip. We have begged them to let us out of this and they just bark back at us you signed a contract.

I despise these people with everything I have in me. We are hurting financially and they call us and are so rude every month. They took money out of our checking account last week after I told them we are not paying them a cent any longer and told the rep to go ahead with her threat and forclose it. She took the payment out of my checking out anyway with out my permission. I had no money for my medicine.

These are evil people and you can tell at first site. Trust your gut on this one people and walk away.

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T P
Augusta, US
May 19, 2010 10:33 pm EDT

We didn't purchase the timeshare, but we purchased the Sun and Seas vacation package. It has been a awful experience. We can't ever get anyone to call us back with booking condos. People will call to offer us specials saying they are wih Sun and Seas, but when I call them back on the number that shows up, no one knows what is going on. Also, their computer system must be the biggest pile of poo ever. I get several different answers when asking about our membership fee due date, and I had to give them our new address 3 different times. AND, when I ask for email confirmation on anything discussed or agreed upon, they always say they can't email me at this time because the system is down. When I FINALLY got someone to email me an agreed due date for our fees, I got a phone call demanding the dues be paid, and when I told her about the email, she said that it was sent in error, and if I didn't pay, the membership would be cancelled. We have had this membership since 2007, and have yet been able to use it. I spend more time arguing with these people and have never enjoyed the service. Please help me get my money back!

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Feeling really stupid
Hiram, US
May 19, 2010 8:21 am EDT

I just got off the phone with Lea Williams at Reba Management. I am a victim of these outrageous late fees. I received the bill in December and it went up $200. We decided we wanted to go down and speak to someone in person. We made a reservation to hear another pitch so we could spead to them about the increase. I told the lady on the phone that I was not paying the bill until I spoke to someone in person. We listened to the pitch and I told him about our $25 late fee (didn't know about the $500 late fee yet). He said, "don't worry about the late fees, I will put a note in the system and it will be taken care of. Well, the bill I recieved yesterday for $503.03 says that it wasn't.

I explained to Lea that we wanted to meet in person and get an explination, it doesn't matter. I explained that if I had known we were going to be charged $500 for waiting, I would have paid it. She said it is clearly printed on the bill with the $25 late fee. Trust me, it is not. Then she said it is listed in the master deed. If that was ever explained to me or brought to my attention, I am not aware. I explained to Lea that the guy told me the late fee would be taken care of, doesn't matter, he had no right to tell me that. This is the same guy that got very upset with us when we turned his deal down. If we had taken his deal, would we be having this problem?

If anyone from Reba Management or HHGS would like to respond to me, I would appreciate it. I can't seem to get help from anyone. This was by far the worst decision my husband and I ever made. It is a very expensive lesson. If anyone out there wants to purchase a vacation nightmare, I'm selling.

Debbie in GA

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TimeshareRid
HHI, US
Mar 29, 2010 11:50 am EDT

Hello..

If anyone here would like assistance in getting out of their Coral Resorts Timeshare, You should email me immediately ! I know the inside to the company policies and can help you rid your problem with no hassle.
My email is Timesharerid@yahoo.com Please give me a detail description of your issues and I will give you the direction to go in...Its a very easy process..You don't have to stress over it ..

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Irene, New York
NEW YROK, US
Mar 17, 2010 8:10 pm EDT

Timeline of my ordeal with a simple timeshare purchase at my most favored destination – Hilton Head:

2007

May 30: purchasing Coral Reef Resort on eBay
June 18: deed is send off to be recorded by the county
August: deed is recorded
October: title is transferred to us. Problems with Coral Reef/Reba Management began
2008

Jan 02: we’re up and running with RCI, all set finally, phew ..
2009

Feb 12: first bill received from Coral Reef – $968.53, was past due with $25 late fee added in the total
Feb 16: Purchasing the Sun and Seas travel software license for $1, 500; trade in Coral Reef alone with the past due maintenance
March 25: the second late fee was added, totaling $1440.30
June 17: RCI took the Coral Reef’s points out due to unpaid maintenance fee
June 24: the saleslady asked me to take down my blog posts on them
Nov 3: few emails fm Reba: Sorry for the confusion. This should be taken care of now. Hoppe finally sent me the agreement on 11/16.
2010

Jan 26: the third late fee added, the bill totals to $2662.30
Feb 19: call fm Reba, setting the deadline of March 20, 2010 – pay or else
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Reba Management, Coral Reef, Sun and Seas

On Feb 16, 2009, while vacationing in Hilton Head, we purchased Sun and Seas’ license for their travel software – so we wouldn’t have to deal with the high maintenance fees that plague many resorts. The Sun and Seas asking price was $2495, but dropped to $1500 after they agreed to a trade-in of our Coral Reef Resort timeshare, which is either managed or owned by Reba Management (http://www.rebamanagement.com/). They agreed to take care of our outstanding 2009 maintenance fees of $968.53, that included a $25 late fee (I hadn’t paid the 2009 maintenance because I never received any bills until Jan 21, 2009, when a statement came that include the $25 late fee. I’d written to Reba requesting that they adjusted the late fee, to which I never received a response). Ms. LeighAnn Hoppe, Director of Owner Services at Coral Reef, came to have us sign a few documents to expedite the buy-back of our unit.
As an incentive, Sun and Seas threw in a free week long vacation in Hilton Head in a two bedroom condo with free golf. They have been calling me to schedule this for many months. When I asked the caller why they were pushing so hard to schedule this, she replied that Sun and Seas wants to get us there to sell us a full time share. I found this contradictory: they sold us the ‘license’ based on the idea that we wouldn’t have to deal with a full time share again.
In the meantime, I continued getting bills from Reba Management that we were past due (3/25/2009 $1440.30, including the 2nd late fee of $471.77) on our Coral Reef Resort maintenance fees. On June 17 2009, the timeshare exchange company, RCI, had taken the Coral Reef Resort points out of account since we hadn’t paid the maintenance fee. Hoping to resolve this matter as soon as possible, I complained about this to Tari Weiland, the saleslady at Sun and Seas, since I couldn’t get any response from Hoppe. I then exchanged many emails with Melissa Healy at Reba, who finally sent me this on Nov 3, 2009:

"Hi Irene-
Leigh Ann Contacted me and is sending over a copy of your buy back paper work. In the meantime I have removed your account from collections and noted it. Sorry for the confusion. This should be taken care of now.
Thanks,
Melissa Healy
Reba Management Inc."

I got a copy of the buyback agreement from Hoppe eventually and thought the matter was resolved.

In January 2010, I received a new past due bill in the amount of $2, 662.30 (including 3rd late fee $1, 222.00). I had a few more email exchanges with Mellisa who said that Ms. Hoppe’s buy-back agreement is incomplete. On Feb 19, Mellisa called/sent certified mail to inform me that Reba had set a deadline for us to pay $2, 662.30 by March 20, 2010 or they will forward our account to an attorney’s office for foreclosure and repossession.

Meanwhile, I contacted Sun and Seas’ service department since I could not get Ms. Hoppe to respond to my repeat requests to confirm the buyback. After a few emails, Rodney Yurco replied to state that the buy-back was never executed. He emailed me the following on 3/2/2010:

"Irene,
I have spoken with Leigh Ann Hoppe at Coral Resorts. According to the records from REBA, you had an outstanding balance between $900 and $1000 prior to the date that Coral Resorts agreed to buy back your week. Then two months later, (which is still within the time that buyback paperwork is typically processed) apparently late fees were applied leaving a balance owed of approximately $1400. She said that at that point when applying the buyback amount to the balance you owed, the difference was still approximately $190.00 owed by you. Ms. Hoppe suggested to Reba management that we just take in your Island Links property, apply the buy back money to the outstanding balance with Reba and waive the additional fees. She has relayed this to Melissa at REBA, so if you agree to this then you would need to speak with her. Please let me know if this is how you want to proceed, and I will let Ms. Hoppe know and follow up to make sure they are processing it.

Respectfully,
Rodney Yurco
Resorts Anytime Customer Service"

I immediately forwarded this email to Melissa, asking if this would be satisfactory to her. She replied:

"Please review the letter sent to you via email, regular mail and certified mail for our position on this matter."

At this juncture, I’m very confused by the entire ordeal: Reba Management owns or manages Coral Reef, is pressing hard on us to pay while they refused to execute the agreement that would relief us from the mess.

I would greatly appreciate any help in resolving this matter with Reba Management.

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Irene, New York
NEW YROK, US
Mar 17, 2010 8:07 pm EDT

Agree with the last fees and high rate of late fees. I got charged for $25 late fee in my first bill on 2/12/2009! When I asked them to adjust it, the email went unanswered. Next month, 3/25, 2009 they added second late fee $471.77. The third late fee came in Jan 2010 for $1, 222.

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HONEST PEOPLE TOO to Late
, US
Feb 10, 2010 12:29 pm EST

Hello to all you honest people who also made agreements with sales people from Coral Sands Resort. We weren't new to Coral Sands. We had purchased in 2001. The deal was for every other year with a 345.00 matinence fee every other year. We also had a developer week. It started out at 29, 000.00 but soon was dropped to 11, 400.00, which we agreed to, giving us 30, 300 points per year. We also own a weak in St Thomas since 2000, with 565.00 yearly maintenance fee. In 2009, Mr Danny Taylor and his wife LaChelle, offered us 2 developer weeks with a yearly maintenance fee of 954.00 and 72, 500 points per year. Mr. Taylor offered this at 29, 000.00 taking off our original purchase of 11, 400.00, he offered to take our week at St Thomas also giving 6, 000.00 more off and guaranteed us 6, 000.00 check in April 2009 for sale of St Thomas, which he arranged thru a sales office. Also we are to have received 2, 000.00 in April 2009, 2010, and 2011 for the rental of a developer week. We told him as long as we received the 8, 000. in April 2009 and 2, 000. following two years, we would go ahead, if not no deal. We have all this on paper. When nothing came thru in April, I contacted Danny Taylor he offered all our money 9, 525.00 returned and we would continue with what we had. I asked him about waiving our maintenance fee 2010 thru 2015 instead to make it easier, he said yes that would work, I was to make sure I sent him our billing when I received it yearly and he would send me a waiver to send in with billing. Well I think you all know the rest of the story, where oh where is Danny Taylor ? NO _ _ _ _ _ !

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Nancy H. Lang
Lewisville, US
Feb 09, 2010 10:21 am EST

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER EVER BUY A TIMESHARE OR RCI POINTS FROM ANY OF THESE!~~

The maintenance fees are astronomical and they send us a PAST DUE WITH LATE CHARGES without ever having to send a bill in the first place. Two years in a row they have done this. We understood when purchased that the maint. fees would be every other year but now they are due every year. I cannot believe they are allowed to get away with this misrepresenation. Also, you cannot book more than 10 months out but as soon as you are allowed to make a reservation there is never anything available that you want. Same resorts every time (and some of these are not so nice).

THIS IS A SCAM and they tell you that you can resell - nobody wants to buy these.

STAY AWAY.

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Jackye
Lawrenceburg, US
Oct 01, 2009 1:01 am EDT

Unfortunately for us, we were scammed by Coral Resorts in March this year. My husband has returned from a one year tour of duty in Iraq and we went to Hilton Head to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. My husband got sick with pneumonia while on our trip so we were preoccupied with his illness upon returning home and was not able to review our contract for several days. When we were able to do so, we realized the salesman had lied about almost everything relating to our purchase. We tried calling Coral Sands many times but could not ever get through to anyone and have left many messages. We have filed a formal complaint with South Carolina Real Estate Commission and sent them copies of all our documents and a case has been opened. At this point, I don't ever want to go back to South Carolina!

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Terri from Georgia
Elberton, US
Sep 29, 2009 2:41 am EDT

I totally agree with Mr. Nichols and Jenn. Denise, I beg you to please beware of these slick sales people. We went for a presentation yesterday and we bought. Everything we were told ended up being lies; not one or two things but I repeat everything. It was not one person but it has been a total of 4 employees now all telling lies. We cancelled our contract today by certified letter, we returned the cute little briefcase they gave us (otherwise they would deduct $100 from our deposit. When I called and told them I was returning that to their office, the man said to just keep it. He did not want me coming into that office anywhere near his prospective customers, or should I say, prey. When we went in, they gave us a receipt for returning the materials, my husbands cancelled check, our incentive check of $150 for attending the presentation (Iwhich we had sgiven back to them as partial payment for closing costs. Get this, when we went to the Post Office on Palmetto Drive, the postal worker asked if he could help us and we said we needed to send a certified letter and he sad "For who, Coral Resorts, Marriott or Spinnaker?" That is really sad. I asked him how many people came in that post office cancelling by certified letter and he said at least 5 or 6 every day. Don't take our experience and decide for yourself though, just Google "Coral Resorts" or Island Links" and EVERY result that turns up will be a negative one...try it, I dare you! The really bizarre thing about this is that Hilton Head, Beaufort County, the State of SC, BBB, Real Estate Commisssion, nor any other entity is doing a darn thing to stop this company nor do they have any plan in effect to make them abide by the timeshare laws, much less moral standards. Where is Erin Brockovich when you need her? Why has this island been spared by God? This is not only evil practices by a company but every official is condoning their behavior, looking the other way...conveniently. Lots of wrong going on here and if anyone has any morals and standards left, you will step up to the plate and fight this. It is wrong and I am the first to attempt to do something about this. Remember 9/11, what's the difference, we are being raped, murdered, taken advantage of today too.

Take care all of you out there,

Terri
Elberton, GA
(Coral Resorts employees know who I am)

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Jenn
, US
Apr 01, 2009 8:50 pm EDT

I agree with the original complaint.. I purchased a timeshare from Coral Sands in March 07. It is a tri-annual timeshare & this is the first year that I have received a bill for maintenance & housekeeping fees & they are OUTRAGEOUS! They notified me of the maintenance fee amount due a few months ago.. it was way too much to pay @ once so I called them and they were very nice & agreed to work out a monthly payment plan with me & remove all late fees assesed once the maintenance fee & housekeeping fees are paid in full... Well, the late fees are being added to the account (which they will remove) BUT the late fee is almost $500 - yes, a five-hundred dollar late fee! This has to be illegal! Great that they are removing it for me, but how many other people are having to pay this late fee... I also understand that the next late fee will be $1800. The first late fee they charged was $25 -- now another $500 & later another $1800... So they are charging over $2300 in late fees for one account with a maintenance fee of $950. The maintenance fee is way too high alone, much less with the astronomical late fees they charge. I am researching the legal aspect of this & I intend to file a complaint with the SC Attorney General & whoever else I can think of... OH and before you buy anything from Coral Sands AKA Reba Management, you should check their BBB rating out... A big FAT F! They even were contacted by the BBB because they had a BBB member logo on their website but have never been BBB members. The BBB asked them on several occassions to take it down... Coral Sands said they would but as the BBB checked back the logo was still their falsely claiming BBB membership... BUYER BEAWARE! Stay away from Coral Sands/Reba Management!

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Denise W.
Conyers, US
Mar 08, 2009 9:46 pm EDT

I paid for the vacation offer to view the timeshare presentation with 3days and 2nights stay at a resort in Hilton Head, SC. I have not booked for the presentation; but intend to do so in the next 2 weeks. They were professional and patient at booking time; I hope the atmosphere is the same when I arrive. It seems that HHGS tried to achieve customer satisfaction with the communication from their General Mgr. I am going in with an optimistic attitude and will not let someone else's bad incident make up my mind about HHGS timeshares.

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christy
Anniston, US
Jan 23, 2009 4:18 pm EST

I am very shocked to read Mr. Nichols comments. I personally explained the $200 fee that was charged to Mr. Nichols several times. HHGS offers tremendous discounts on Hilton Head Island vacations to customers who preview our 5 star Gold Crown RCI resort properties. In exchange for a more than 70% discount, Mr. Nichols just had to come to the property for a 90 minute tour with NO OTHER OBLIGATIONS except to give our company good word of mouth advertising. Since his end of the promotion was not honored, he did not qualify for the discount. HHGS has a wonderful reputation on the island, as well as with the majority of the families we have traveled. Providing discounted vacations and vacation ownership in a professional, truthful, and friendly manner is our mission. We offer our customers one on one vacation planning to avoid any challenges, and to make sure their vacation is exactly what they need, want, and deserve. Mr. Nichols, please accept this as another invitation to call me at your convienience so that we may discuss why you didn't enjoy your vacation. We would love for you to be our guest in the future and I will gladly help you to plan your next Hilton Head Island getaway!

Christy Patrick
General Manager
HHGS
Anniston, Al.