The First Group review: Aria vocation club

We were at a Dubai Metro station when we were approached by a man who identified himself as an agent of First Group. We asked him for some information about the metro, which he provided. He then offered to show us around Dubai and give us some gifts if we visited their office. We accepted his offer.

The next day, a First Group driver came to pick us up and took us to the First Group office. There, we were offered refreshments; I had coffee, and the children had juice. After that, a First Group representative interviewed me and asked where I was from. When I told him that I am from Germany, he asked about my occupation and whether I owned a business. I informed him that I work at an airport in Germany.

Subsequently, another representative was assigned to us. He was from Syria, and his name was Ahmed Daoud. He gave us a tour of the office and took us to several locations. While showing us different places, he brought us to the Aria Vacation office and explained their points-based system. He then took us to visit an apartment at Balqis Residence.

After that, he offered us the opportunity to become partners in a three-bedroom apartment by purchasing a Diamond Membership. He explained that we could either use the property ourselves or rent it out. He stated that during peak season, the apartment could be rented for between USD 13,000 and USD 16,000. However, he informed us that we would first need to pay 25% of the total amount along with the required club fee. He further represented that by doing so, we would be able to sell our Diamond Membership points and earn annual profit, either in cash or by using the membership ourselves.

We found this offer appealing and believed that even if we paid 25%, receiving USD 5,000–6,000 would be reasonable. Based on their explanation, we agreed to proceed with the Diamond Membership. We were instructed to make an immediate payment of AED 9,000 to confirm the membership, which I paid using my credit card. In this manner, a fraudulent-type contract was entered into with us.

After that, I travelled to Pakistan. Upon my return, I began making installment payments and ultimately paid more than 25% of the total contract amount. I also paid the Diamond Club fee twice. Later, since I accumulated more than 85,000 points and did not wish to use them personally, I decided to sell them.

I asked the company to advise me on the best time to sell my 85,000 points at a good price. I was informed that the period from November to March would be the most profitable. I repeatedly asked how much money I could expect to earn from selling the points, but they consistently refused to provide a clear answer.

Eventually, I decided to sell my points for the period from 1 February 2025 to 8 February 2025. I submitted a request for the sale, which was accepted, and my 85000 points were sold. However, the company did not disclose the sale price.

At the end of February, I again requested information regarding the sale amount, but they continued to avoid answering. Finally, in March, I was informed that my points had been sold for USD 2,409. I objected to this amount, as it was extremely low, but no proper explanation was provided.

After significant difficulty, I received the payment of USD 2,409 on 14 April 2025. Upon reviewing this amount, I realized that it was extremely low and did not even cover my original payments, which were scheduled to continue until 2027.

As a result, I decided to stop making further payments. I continued paying until 24 February 2025, but thereafter I lost hope and suffered severe distress, realizing that I had been deceived and cheated.

I sent multiple emails requesting to exit the program, seeking a refund of my payments and requesting that my share be sold to another party. I also sent two registered letters by post, but I received no response.

At present, I am suffering from significant mental stress. To date, I have paid more than AED 82,000 in total, while I have received only USD 2,409. The remaining amount is still retained by First Group and Aria Vacation, whose actions I believe to be fraudulent.