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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Destination Paradise

Welcome to our customer reviews and complaints page for Destination Paradise. We understand that making informed decisions about where to invest your time and money can be challenging, which is why we've created this platform for our community to share their honest feedback about their experiences with Destination Paradise.

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12:52 am EDT
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Destination Paradise scam, false services and advertisement

We had mistakenly signed up with this travel service and it's a complete scam; false advertisement and poor products. They advertised and presented that they are representing major hotels such as the Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt and Ritz Carlton. I had checked Paris, New York, San Francisco, Italy and Spain. There are no accomadations near any of these cities. The city may list several places to stay but the same hotel or condo repeat themselves with different pricves.

Destination Paradise is a scam company which takes advantage of the Hawaiian visitors. By the time you leave and look up the sites you miss the the cancellation deadline of three days.

Destination Paradise will be reported to the Hawaii Better Business Department and other agencies.

Do not even attend any of their presentations and please warn your friends and family.

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unscamme
631 cr 54 lot 2, US
May 12, 2010 1:43 pm EDT

Today i was contacted by caribbean cruise line, stating that I'd won the cruise that I signed up for, oddly, I didn't sign up for one. Next, the salesman asked if I remember signing up, I said noooo, did I sign up on line? no, he replied, by telephone, that was a lie out tha door I didn't have at the supposed time, but I listened any way, all seemed "TRUE" until it went from I WON, to I need to paY GOVERNMENT PORT FEES TODAY, in order to travel in 18 months. I was told by the senior specialist that I must provede my credit/debit card info while on the phone TODAY, they could hold on, but if I hang up and call back, I'd loose my prize, RED FLAG, either I won it or it's a scam. I hung up.

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1:52 pm EDT
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Destination Paradise ripped off

My husband and I was promised free tickets and 8 night condo with destination paradise. We have not received not one free gift. We paid $6000 for the time share and haven't received one thing free. I sent in for a crusie using the reward points of $3000, when asked how much of out of pocket would we have to pay for 7 day western caribbean cruise, would cost us 2, 2491 for two. I asked about the rewards and she said once we return from the cruise, they'll send us $45.00. This is not right. We paid $6000 and the only thing we'll get out of it (haven't received nothing yet) is $45.00. The next time we're in Hawaii, we will make sure we tell everybody we see, STAY AWAY FROM DESTINATION PARADISE

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lanaj43
Nanaimo, CA
Dec 28, 2012 2:58 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Purchased holiday deals, with hotels, cruises and airfare. Unable to access company information, unable to access services, calls not returned. Assigned account to Universal Account Servicing. Account paid in full. Still received an invoice from Universal Account Services for an annual fee December, 2017. They agreed to cancel account when told Destination Paradise no longer existed. They provided a number for Destination Paradise in Florida, it turned out to be for another company that Universal Account Servicing does business with. I want my money back

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John Guanci
Sugar Land, US
Jan 26, 2011 3:48 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We joined Destination Paradise two years ago. They charged us $2800.00 with an annual fee of $151.00. The annual fee is collected by a company called Universal Account Servicing. We searched many times to find a good price for hotels or condos. The service is totally worthless. Many times the website does not work and when we call the contact number they rarely answer. The hotels and condos are in remote locations and when we try to book in Hawaii we get a better price using Exepdia or Travelocity or we just call the Hotel and direct book. Its cheaper. False advertising and possible fraud. Don't do it.

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pattycakes
Long Beach, US
Aug 20, 2009 7:05 pm EDT

We got suckered into this SCAM July of 2017. We purchased the $8000 package and have not been able to use it once. There is never any availability and the rare times that there are it is in an unpopulated area away from areas tourists usually visit. Additionally, if you google the places they do have available in these isolated areas you will find nothing but derogatory remarks regarding the resorts they offer. For example we tried to book a resort in the Bahamas. The ONE they had available was pretty much held up by a kickstand alone. If you blew on it too hard it would have fallen over. I googled the reviews on the resort and there was an average of 1/2 a star on it. We ended up having to book with homeaway.com (which is fabulous)
This company is a complete joke. They got us with the same scheme and line. We had to sign up before seeing any inventory. DO NOT EVER DO THIS! I have called them and complained endlessly. They dont care and once you sign on the dotted line there is nothing you can do about it. We are stuck paying on this "license" we cant even use. We might as well have stuffed $8000 into a bag and thrown it out the window. If anyone knows any legal loopholes please advise! If I didnt care so much about my credit I would let it go and not pay them one damn dime.

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Paradise Blue
Sunn, US
Aug 04, 2009 8:32 pm EDT

Guys,

This is a big sham and fraud. I feel cheated after paying $4400. I think we can bring a lawsuit against these fraudsters. Let me know in case you guys are interested.

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Destination Paradise Sales Practice, Product Issues, Contract Issues, Refund Issues, Collection Issues...more complaints than I can list

When I sat through the presentation you were led to believe that you could book all sorts of trips any where you wanted. You can not look at the product you paid for until approx 14 days and of course after the so called cancellation period which isn't feasible for people who are traveling & they already know are on vacation. After getting my password & user code I found out that I would not be able to vacation whenever & where ever I wanted. Of course any place that I've put in isn't serviced and if there is an area close by it tells you when you have to start & finish your stay. It either starts on Fri, Sat or Sun and goes for a week. When I take vacations I leave & return in the middle of the week when flying is cheaper. None if this information was disclosed at the presentation. I especially asked about locations in England, London actually. There is nothing offered in London but hotels and I can get better prices on Priceline. I travel a lot and they sure make this sound wonderful in the presentation that they give. The buyer doesn't realize that the product isn't all that they claimed until it's too late and you are stuck with it. When I was looking for places to stay and noticed the set dates I called the reservation hotline and of course had to leave a message to have someone call me back of course that also sent me a red flag. I never seem to be able to get in touch with a live person. It's always leave a message. What kind of HOTLINE is that? Late the next day Amanda called me back and said that the dates couldn't be changed and if I wanted to be able to pick my dates I would have to book a hotel. I didn't purchase this to stay in a hotel during my vacation. I purchased this to be able to stay in resorts/condos at a lower cost. I did not get what I paid for and by doing much research on the internet I see that others are feeling the same way. If I would have had internet access during my stay I would have canceled on the spot. I guess this fell under the "IT WAS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE" heading. I have spent the last two night trying to figure out how to make this work and meet my needs but it doesn't. It sounds like it isn't meeting the needs of a lot of people. I feel like I was mislead into purchasing a product that doesn't deliver what it was suppose to. There wasn't a hotel price that they had listed that couldn't be beat by someone else. They also should have had a separate cancellation page to make it easier to opt out. They requested that it be postmarked...I don't know about you but on vacation I wouldn't have a clue where the post office was at. You should be given the opportunity to see the product in action first. It would seem that I now join the list of others that were mislead and I sure don't want to pay for a product that is basically useless to me.

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Carey, Scott
Lahaina, US
Nov 04, 2011 7:20 pm EDT
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I am the Director of Sales at Pacific Dreams in Maui. I have made the follow offer to EVERY complaint on this site...

"If you will provide me your name, purchase date and membership number, I will be happy to make the following offer to you. If we are unable to provide you a great value for your very next trip/vacation I will see that you are refunded the money for your purchase. I stand by the product and services we offer. If you will contact me at [protected] I will see that you are serviced well or you receive a complete refund of your purchase. "

To date no ONE person has taken me up on this offer.

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rallyindi
US
Oct 24, 2011 10:06 pm EDT

NEWS ALERT they go by the name pacific dreams and Just Dreams same 'software' timeshare scam.
anyone out there got a refund back?

just dreams billing is doen through Universal group a debt collector/ so even if I try to cancel Universal group will come after me..

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WorldTravels
Beverly Hills, US
Aug 13, 2011 7:08 am EDT

Take everything wrong with Timeshares and their selling practices, multiple by 50, add in a whole lot of nothing for an expensive price and you get Pacific Dreams.

My fiance and I travel quite a bit and have been known to go to time share presentations to get discounted stays or activities now and then. We are used to the high pressure sales and the rapidly decreasing price over time. When we sat in on a presentation by Pacific Dreams in Maui, we didn't realize that a company would outright lie just to get business.

We were warned by the sales person about somebody who had been posting fake scams and ignorantly we bought into it. Like many things it was a while before we had another opportunity to travel and when we went to do so we realized just how big of a SCAM this really is. By this time it was definitely to late to cancel so we're just hoping to help others to not make the same mistakes we did. Remember, for every person who complains there are tens if not hundreds of people who just chalk a mistake up to a bad decision or they don't want to admit to getting scammed. I'll admit it though, we bought it hook, line, and sinker.

We had a three major problems with the service which is why we had to warn others. The least of all is the software. It looks like it is written 15 years ago and it is as hard to navigate as anything i've seen here on the web. Worse is that you can't book trips to any place you would actually want to go. Thinking of a romantic trip to Paris? Not even an option. We weren't able to find any major city anywhere in the world that it allowed. The worst clincher though is even when you find a far off remote place and you are supposed to be getting some great deal, the prices where over twice what we found in a quick 5 second search of accommodations on the web. The one thing they say they are good at, getting great deals around the world and their prices don't even come close to what's competitive.

It is a waste of several thousand dollars for us from this scam. I hope others don't make same mistake!

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PDisBadNews
Snohomish, US
Jul 07, 2011 5:36 pm EDT

This company is the same as Pacific Dreams, Just Dreams, Paradise Blue, and probably others. Google those companies and just look at their websites - they are mostly copy-and-paste. (maybe after I post this enough they'll actually make some effort to make them different, but as of right now they have the identical text, right down to the client testimonials!) Why do they keep changing their name? Because they have to once the word gets out that this is a scam. You do NOT get what is advertised in the presentation. How do I know? Because sadly I fell for this scam.

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Conerned citizen
Honolulu, US
Feb 19, 2010 3:15 pm EST

Jana Lujan is just a Con artist who is looking for a free ride. She has done this to numerous Vacation Clubs and tries to get something for nothing. As if she does not know how they work. Ask around about her name and you will see it is on the DO NOT DEAL WITH list of people in their database. CON CON CON. You can always find her in the bars and hanging out on the street corners with the hookers in Honolulu. If anyone helps her, you will fall into the same trap as so many others. Read that letter again and you should be able to read into her personality. Sellers beware. This lady is mentally ill.

From your local concern citizen.

Mahalo

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Paradise dreams scam
96761, US
Dec 22, 2009 2:27 am EST

I've done a lot of research on both DPH and Global Escapes and I believe the companies exist to scam unwitting tourists. The companies were affiliated through owners and employees until many of them left San Antonio and started woking in Hawaii. I'd like to see them shut down as a service to past, current and future victims. Here are links to the steps the Texas Attorney General took to shut them down.

INJUNCTION: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2009/040109globalescapes_pop.pdf

BANK ACCOUNT SEIZURE: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2009/040109globalescapes_tro.pdf

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pattycakes
Long Beach, US
Aug 20, 2009 7:21 pm EDT

We got suckered into this SCAM July of 2008. We purchased the $8000 package and have not been able to use it once. There is never any availability and the rare times that there are it is in an unpopulated area away from areas tourists usually visit. Additionally, if you google the places they do have available in these isolated areas you will find nothing but derogatory remarks regarding the resorts they offer. For example we tried to book a resort in the Bahamas. The ONE they had available was pretty much held up by a kickstand alone. If you blew on it too hard it would have fallen over. I googled the reviews on the resort and there was an average of 1/2 a star on it.
This company is a complete joke. We ended up booking a condo on homeaway.com (which is fabulous). They got us with the same scheme and line. We had to sign up before seeing any inventory. DO NOT EVER DO THIS! I have called them and complained endlessly. They dont care and once you sign on the dotted line there is nothing you can do about it. We are stuck paying on this "license" we cant even use. We might as well have stuffed $8000 into a bag and thrown it out the window. If anyone knows any legal loopholes please advise! If I didnt care so much about my credit I would let it go and not pay them one damn dime.

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ask me
US
Jul 11, 2009 10:46 pm EDT

Under state law, anyone who buys a time-share has 7 days to cancel the contract.

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Joe Kling
Encino, US
Jun 21, 2009 12:54 am EDT

Jana
Honolulu, Hawaii
U.S.A.

Someone please HELP me!
February 25, 2009

Hawaii Civil Rights Commission
Hawaii Labor Board
Hawaii Tourism Board
EEOC
Taxation Department/IRS

Dear Sirs/Madams:

RE: Destination Paradise Hawaii

I am writing to inform The Boards and Commissions about the work/nepotism discrimination and 'Deceptive Trade Practices' I encountered while working for Destination Paradise Hawaii (DPH) from approximately August or September 2008 until December 23, 2008. I repeatedly asked for a Contract or something in writing but was never even asked to fill out an Application or show them something (a Passport, Social Security Card, State Tax I.D. Number, etc.) to evidence I was legal to work in the United States. Their phone number is not in the Phone Book or on the Internet (and there is a reason for that; what honest, reputable Company would not list their information publicly?). Also, I have attached copies of all of my check stubs and I cannot get them to match up to my 1099 (Please see attached documentation). We were also given cash 'spiffs' as bonuses for things like: two or three sales in one day, sales totaling over a certain amount, etc. but I wonder if this money is on the 1099 and is being reported to the Government? My 2008 1099 earnings do not match my paystubs and I cannot figure it out. Also, DPH deducted 5% each pay period to build each person's account up to a $1, 500 reserve account. If a person defaulted on their loan (even if it was six+ months later) the amount they owed came out of our pay check. This does not not seem right since we only have a three day right of rescission. The Reserve Account is supposed to be refunded to me three to six months after I leave the Company.

First, I would like to give The Board a history of my work background (I have attached a Resume as well). I began working in the Mortgage Banking Industry in 1981 while still in College. I began Contracting/Consulting in 1986 and did so until about two years ago when the 'Sub Prime' Market finally collapsed. I have been employed in every aspect of Mortgage Banking including four years on Wall Street with Merrill Lynch. I came to Honolulu to Underwrite for Washington Mutual in 2002, fell in love with the People, their Culture, the History and the Food, bought a Condominium and never left (except to travel to the Mainland for work). I consider myself a Professional in every sense of the word. I have dealt with Bank and Mortgage Company CEO's and Applicant's from First Time Home Buyers to Politicians, Actors/Actresses', Musicians, Executives of Major Corporations, etc. I was one of six people selected to audit five of the six Ritzie Mae Securitizations for the Resolution Trust Corporation during the Savings and Loan 'Scandal' that began in the late 1980's.

Eventually, there was no work in Mortgage Banking and a friend told me about Destination Paradise Hawaii. I interviewed with Mike Balicki, Manager for Honolulu, in early April but had to go to the Mainland for a funeral (it is hard to give you exact job titles for the 'Management' at The Company since we were discouraged to give potential Clients the 'Management's' Titles or Business Cards). We were told if anyone asks for a Business Card to ignore them and they will forget about it. We also could not give out The Company's phone number, any literature or brochures on The Company and were also discouraged for EVER showing them our live web site; there is also a reason for this and I believe it was because they did not want the People to know the truth or have any information that would get them in trouble. The web site says, 'call for pricing and availability' but their outdated Power Point used for the Presentation and the Speaker says, 'right now, alone, we have over 1, 500 Condo's available in Waikiki from $199 to $399 on the Beach, four or five Star rating for the week'. THEY DO NOT! (possible deceptive trade practices?)...

Now, this is what I know about DPH. It is very little since they did not like questions. We were kept 'in the dark' about many things, i.e. Titles, their History or Backgrounds, Owners, etc. There was quite a bit of nepotism as well. The Owner (Chuck ? - I've met him once), lives in Seattle and his daughter Cole, works in the back Office where all the record keeping is done for the Sales. It is not a Time Share Company but it is operated much like a Time Share. The majority of the people I worked with had a Time Share Background.They buy unused weeks of Time Share from RCI, Sheraton, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, etc. and sell a Vacation Software Program for $7, 995 (and guaranteed financing @ 17.9%). In addition, there is a $189/year renewal fee and, if you want to purchase a week from what is available in their Inventory, you must pay an additional fee of what is stated on their Web site. You cannot get into the Web site unless you have a User ID and Password and when this is presented during their 'Presentation', it is not a live Website but a Power Point and the dates go all the way back to March 2008 (which is when, I believe, the Showroom was originally opened but Clients are told they began their Business in 1989). The potential clients are obtained by Outside Sales People that are either on the street or in a kiosk in and around Waikiki. They are told the Presentation is no more than an hour and a half to two hours. My job was a 'Liner'. This is the person who goes out to the Lobby, meets the potential client(s), warms up to them, asks them to turn off their cell phones (very important because if their cell phone goes off after they enter the 'Showroom', the 'Liner' gets in so much trouble the next morning in our 7:30 a.m. MANDATORY meeting). And, don't be one second late because if you are, you are degraded and embarrassed in front of the entire room and then go to the bottom of the list (which means you may be there from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and not even get a chance to make money). If there is even one doubt that they have not turned off their cell phone, we are to physically obtain the phone from the person to assure it is off. I would NEVER dream of touching someone's personal property. We then tell them if they have to use the Ladie's or Men's room, this is their last chance. If a person does get up during the Presentation, they are embarrassed and we get in trouble. The Speaker literally STOPS the Presentation and says, 'hey, where are you going?' then says something like, 'hurry back' or 'don't forget to wash you r hands'. There was one incident where a man had to go to the bathroom but the Liner told him to wait until after the Presentation and he literally went to the bathroom (#2) in the chair! We can only give two people one bottle of water and two small cups so that they won't have to go to the bathroom. We then take them inside the Showroom and talk to them for about twenty to thirty minutes. We try to get them to make a 'Vacation Commitment'. There are six steps we must perform before the Presentation begins, then fifty-five minutes to an hour plus by the Speaker, then back to us for three more steps and try to get them to purchase the Vacation Software Program. A 'Closer' then comes over and puts the pressure on them to buy, buy, buy. If they are not interested, another 'Closer' eventually comes over and asks questions as to why they are not interested and 'What can we do to earn your Business?'. If they are still not interested, we have to 'hold' those people at the table (I have had to hold people for up to forty minutes!) until a Manager waives to me from the back and tells me I can let them go. It's horrible because the potential client wants to leave and I have to the potential client talking so the client does not get upset (It really doesn't matter because Management will get upset if they even get up to go to the Bathroom!). If they do leave the table, we have to follow them - be it to the Bathroom, to have a Cigarette, etc. There was one incident where Anne Rassmussen was doing the Presentation and I had a single lady but at the last minute she had to go to the bathroom. I waited for her in the Lobby and Anne came out and told me to go get her from the bathroom. I told her I would never do such a thing and she said, 'well then I'll do it myself' and she did.

Seyi and Nike Famadou (Brother and Sister) are from Nigeria (possible red flag) via Minneapolis. Nike gets preferential treatment because Seyi, her brother, is a Manager. Nike is a 'tattle tale' and a 'whistle blower' and I can personally call her a liar. She does not want anyone to have greater sales/commissions than herself and she will do whatever is necessary to achieve that goal. The second month I was there, I was rated #2 in sales, behind Nike. Hear-say is that Mike Balicki is back on heroin. He had a bad problem in latter years but had supposedly 'cleaned himself up'. Again, this is hear-say, but I was told by one of the workers that he saw needle marks on his arms and he is wearing long sleeve shirts again.

The majority of the 'Managers' are ethnic and when upper Management was not there, they would play their 'Rap Music' on the intercom instead of the beautiful Hawaiian Music we had piped in. At one point, one of the Managers was sitting in the back of the Showroom playing on his laptop, listening to Rap Music and the 'F' word was in the music. I was appalled because we had a Presentation going on and if I could hear it, other people could hear it!

At one time, two of the Black workers were going to get into a fist fight in the Break Room and Security had to be called!

I believe I was targeted because I knew too much but I could sell. Strange things were said and done to me that did not (that I know of) do to other workers. Once, Mike came in the small conference room (where we have our MANDATORY 7:30 a.m. meetings) and I was on the computer and eating some leftovers. He said, 'you know we have a kitchen, don't you?'. I said, 'yes, do you want me to eat in there?' and he said, 'you are not allowed to eat in this room'. EVERYONE eats in that room. Especially Breakfast during our morning meetings. Then there were days we did not get a break or lunch (not even to go to the Bathroom) because we were so busy and they needed us for the Showroom. I also got in trouble for walking Clients that did not purchase across the street to the Waikiki Business Plaza to collect their gift. I felt bad and several times they said, 'so you're just going to kick us to the curb?'. There are many workers that walk their Clients across the street. Why was I singled out? Also, I was accused of trying to conduct a sideline business while 'on the clock' at DPH. I'm not sure exactly what they were talking about. If they watch the news or read a newspaper, they would certainly know THERE IS NO MORTGAGE BANKING going on at this time and NO, I was not doing that. We had so many 'tattle tale Managers'; it could have come from anyone. Then there was the time when I got suspended for two days for saying something I did not say. I was not even given a chance to defend myself. Then I found out that Derrick Chang (the one that gave Mike Balicki the erroneous information) is Mike's best friend. Then there's Harold Lewis (aka Sonny) that owns the Activity Store. He has twenty-four (24) CRIMINAL COUNTS AGAINST HIM! That does not include Civil Charges. He came up to me one morning and pointed his finger right in my face and said, 'tell your friend Peter not to call up here anymore'. Peter is Sonny's right hand man. He drives Sonny's Mercedes and the Company Van with Clients back to their Hotels (he does not have a License and drinks heavily), runs errands, takes out Sonny's ex-girlfriend, among other things... He is paid in cash daily and a bigger amount on Fridays. Is this being reported to the IRS?

Now I can get to the discrimination parts. Nike was always selected over me to go out and make a potential sale because she did not like me and she is Seyi's (Manager) sister. Nike, for the most part, got preferential treatment because she was Seyi's Sister. She is always on vacation and before I started there was a rule that you could not come in on your day off because it cut into other 'workers who were scheduled to work thus deminimizing (on our scheduled shift) our chances of making money. The second pay period I was there, I went to #2 in sales and Nike was ALWAYS #1. I was a threat to her. The last straw came on December 22nd and December 23rd. On December 22nd I only got to go out one time but Nike, who did not even make a sale the previous day, went out on all three Presentations. I had a delightful retired couple from North Carolina. We talked, they have a timeshare at Ko'olina, a boat they take down to Florida, three children that are successful and happy. When the Presentation was over, they were given the 'hard pitch'. When they were told they could get a room at Ko'olina for $199 for the week! I just looked at them and they were clearly understanding what was going on. Then they were told to purchase our Program and trade their Marriott points in for Airline miles. When I finally got to walk them out, he said, 'I don't do this very often' and handed me his Business Card. I said, 'Oh no, I cannot take it, I will get in trouble' and handed it back to him. Then, for some strange reason, I decided to accept it. Bob Avent (letter attached) said to just tell them it was a Restaurant they were asking about. Then, the next morning, December 23rd, I was called in before our 7:30 a.m. meeting by Mike Balicki. I was thinking, Oh, what now? And he said, 'Jana, I heard from several different people that you fell asleep during both Presentations yesterday'. I looked at him and calmly said, 'Gee, that's funny Mike because I only had one Presentation and no, I did not fall asleep'. He kept picking and picking at me and I finally said, 'you know what Mike, just save it' and I walked out. I was so glad I kept Bob and Cynthia Avent's card. I called and emailed them and briefly explained what happened. He said I never fell asleep (I knew I didn't but they had accused me so many times, I was beginning to doubt myself!). He said he would do anything legally to help me. Please see their letter (attached separately).

There was not one day when I did not cry, either walking out of the Showroom so no one could see me, on my way home or when I got home. I felt like I was constantly walking on 'eggshells' because of the way the 'Managers' talked to or treated me. The mental stress and anguish was intolerable. It seemed the harder I tried, the worse it got. The day after I walked out, my Friends said they could see a change in me for the better; I was back to my old self, happy and relieved.

I have also attached a few letters written by unhappy Purchasers and it appears the Better Business Bureau has dropped them from their rating system.

In my opinion, there is something else going on there besides DPH and selling Vacation Software Packages.

The following are the people that should be looked at very closely:

Seyi Famadou
Nike Famadou
Mike Balicki
Harold Lewis (aka Sonny)
Chuck ?
Ann Rassmussen (sp?)
Derick Chang
Ted Thornton
Joe Adams
John Tsunami (sp?)

I do not want people to come to Hawaii and leave with a bad feeling. I live in Waikiki and love it. Please protect our Visitors and the people that still work there (many are so unhappy but I did make some good friends).

Please help me and our reputation to our Tourists. I am seeking advice and a legal opinion for an action to be taken.

Sincerely,

Jana L. Lujan, Realtor-Associate and Mortgage Banker
[protected], Ext. 409 Office
[protected] Honolulu
[protected] Cell
[protected] Cell
[protected] El Paso

p.s. If this email is not received by the correct Department, please forward it to the appropriate Department, Mahalo

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Patrick
US
May 11, 2009 6:38 pm EDT

We're in the same boat as you...E-Mail me...I have some Idea's how to move Forward!
Scatmanpat@gmail.com

~ Patrick

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Destination Paradise high pressure sale

We were directed into attending this "timeshare" presentation which we were told was not a timeshare, in exchange for a free gift with a 150 dollar surcharge. After a high pressure sales pitch and the usually greasy used car salesman type hype, we decided to refuse to acquire the service (which was given a 10K price tag!). When this happened, we were made to wait for over 20 minutes (hoping for our gift to be delivered to us); then a larger more intimidating character who was supposedly from the corporate offices in Florida approached our table and offered us a "special offer" with a mere 3000 dollar pricetag for the same package- this immediately started throwing up all sorts of red flags for me.

Thankfully we didn't get talked into the "product" (a flexible timeshare hybrid), with an expensive price tag and annual payments to boot. We were directed to a building across the street to collect our gifts- essentially tour vouchers. When we tried to redeem the vouchers, we found that the booking agency never even bothered to contact the tour group! So we were down 3 hours AND didn't even get the free gift. What a scam! Don't let the street vendors talk you into this.

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mdhdmh
US
Aug 27, 2012 1:34 pm EDT

We were sadly suckered into this at $2000. For years we would always look for a place to stay and could never find anything. Finally an unexpected opportunity for short term travel came up. We looked at the short term rentals and found a few that looked just okay for $399 for the week we figured we might as well give it a try. Each offer we clicked to buy kept coming up as unavailable. Then we accidentally clicked a resort we didn't want and of course that one went through. It states to call if you have a problem immediately. We did, no one was there we left a message. When we spoke to the representative she said that we were supposed to hit a certain extension for an emergency (this was not on the recording). Now they will not change it to the location we wanted. The best part, if you were to book this on your own through expedia or hotels.com it is essentially the same price! Total scam please avoid at all costs.

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WYBY
Edmonton, CA
May 06, 2011 9:40 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We are from Edmonton, Alberta Canada and bought this package in 2009 and have used it twice and have had an excellent experience. I don't understand these vicious complaints. We were dealt fairly and professionally. Sure, the sales pressure was high but you didn't have to buy. There was no problem with the dinner cruise voucher we got. We paid $5000 for the pkg. and with the two holidays we have taken so far we feel that our original price has been almost paid for by the savings. The places we stayed at were absolutely georgeous.(Kanapalai Beach Club) Not something we could afford at normal prices. Sure, it takes some patience to book your holidays but the savings are worth it. We've always had good customer service if we needed help from the head office.
It seems some of the complaints are from people who have never even tried to book a holiday. So far we have been very satisfied. We previously had a trial timeshare with RCI that had so many levels of ownership and stipulations that it was basically useless to us.

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bluemetal77
The Ponds, AU
Jan 17, 2011 5:08 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We were lured into this scam in the August of 2008. The same high sales pitch ending up with a $10, 000 package .. reduced to $7000 for the day. We got excited about it - although didn't want to sign up.. so as we were getting up to leave .. we were offered the package for $2000.
As everyone says, never used it ONCE .. the site is a complete joke, no destinations/resorts ever available and the ones that are .. are unheard of .. or have bad reviews and locations.
One year later, i got charged the yearly $159 amount for the membership (not sure what it is now in 2011) and i disputed it with my Credit Card company and got it back. 2 weeks later i got a call from Destination Paradise that my payment is due and i need to provide a new CC.. i immediately told the calling person that DP was a scam and everyone knows about it and how dare they ask for more payment.. she quickly said ok we wont disturb you and hung up and that was the end of it.
I've cancelled that credit card and have no more of this joke and scam in my life. Like someone said, might as well put $2000 in a bag and throw it away!

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jknapp
US
Oct 15, 2010 5:39 pm EDT

Dirty Rotten M*ther F*ckers

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Victimnr1000
US
Oct 14, 2010 7:07 pm EDT

If they promised a product, but can't provide it...wouldn't that be a lie? A scam? A fraud? Is it worthwhile to sue this company altogether? It seems they are getting away with it since years...and more people have become victims.

I read about our common complaints, but I don't see any solutions posted...except reporting to the Attorney General. How frustrating.

If by any change you are a well educated lawyer and you know how to handle this, please post it here. Many people will be very thankful to you.

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HVWilliamsJR
La Vernia, US
Sep 25, 2010 11:57 am EDT

Thanks for all of your comments! My wife and I was called yesterday and have an appointment this afternoon. After reading this, we will go do something productive with our time!

H Williams

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John Conner
bourbon, US
Aug 30, 2010 2:55 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Yes I agree all of these so called promotional gifts suck. I have received them fro car dealers, Timeshare, and even my cable company. But the sales offers that I received were sometimes good and sometimes just not interesting. I guess my point is that you get what you pay for and with most of these gifts the stated cost is nothing so you really don't get much. As for all of your comments about the Vacation Club, my wife and I joined one of these several years ago and it was one of the best purchases that I have ever made. We paid $4000.00 for our membership and recouped our investment in our first 3 vacations. Now I am not familiar with this Outrigger club that you are talking about, our club, Grand Vacation Club has provided excellent service and savings on Condo rentals and cruises. The two things that my wife and I do. It sounds like most of you are just wining about the FREE gift that has lots of restrictions, this is what I find when I search for comments about companies like these. Get over it guys the gifts suck. Spend the money, buy a membership and travel the world for pennies on the dollar.

John Conner

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Lunaclara
San Antonio, US
Aug 19, 2010 10:44 pm EDT

Just tonight someone called t from PARADISE DESTINATIONS" in San Antonio, TX, offered us some kind of vacations plan. I was very lucky to have my PC on and Google it ...THANKS " Disgustedwithscam258"... for your advice...it was very handy. :) I hung up with good basis.

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jennifer smith
Victoria, CA
Jun 05, 2010 5:44 am EDT

on may of this year i was phoned about a free holiday with extra stuff added on and all i had to pay was 290.00 d0llars... i called them back to refuse the offer after they had taken down my credit card number, which i was pressured into and i said i had no money for the deal, found out later they still used my card to get at some of the money they wanted from me...! don't let this happen to you, i;ve since cancelled my card and such but the money i probably won't see again. they called me at work, for all this info and stuff... do not give in to there little sceme they just want your money and nothing else... j.s

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R Larzelere
San Antonio, US
May 12, 2010 1:20 pm EDT

My husband purchased pack age from some travel agency in San Antonio Tx under
name of Good Times travel ...big scam too ...after several complaints from other people place shut down and is now...Paradise Destinations...wandering if they
are affiliated in any way...also used Outrigger Vacations and Fun Planet Vacations
offers a promo which we have had a hard time with...sorry we purchased package
have had a hard time reaching personnel, etc. always answering machine or promise for
call back...seems like they might all be connected. I f any comments email me or
husband: naomibarrera@gmail.com or blarzelere@satx.rr.com

Thanks N Larzelere

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