The First Group Aria Vacation Club review: Scam in tourism investment

I want to share my extremely disappointing experience with Aria Vacation Club and The First Group so others can be aware and avoid what I went through.

I attended their presentation where they offered a vacation membership worth 70,000 points under a “platinum” subscription. They made big promises about luxury travel benefits and told me that my apartment would be rented by them, generating income for me. I clearly asked for written confirmation, but they insisted I trust their word and reputation, saying everything would be sorted later.

Unfortunately, after reviewing the contract, I found that none of these promises were actually guaranteed. The contract gives them full control and no commitment to rent my apartment at all. Everything they told me verbally was not reflected in the written agreement.

Realizing this, I decided to cancel the agreement within the 10-day cooling-off period, which I understand is protected by UAE law. They acknowledged my cancellation but have refused to refund my money, giving excuses and asking me to sign additional papers — which I now believe could be used against me.

I feel completely misled, pressured, and taken advantage of. I was transparent with them from the beginning and trusted them based on their promises. Now I am left without the service I paid for and with no way to recover my money.

This is not how reputable companies behave. I hope my experience helps others make informed decisions and that the authorities step in to protect consumers from such unethical practice