Lured by Luxury Vacations, They Were Stuck With Debt

Shortly after Hope and William Gagnon arrived in Cancún, Mexico, from Detroit, the couple were approached by a salesperson from a vacation club. About 21 hours later, they had agreed to pay $27,000 to join the club — a significant commitment for Ms. Gagnon, a customer feedback specialist, and Mr. Gagnon, a hospital courier.

They had bought what they believed the Unlimited Vacation Club was selling: free or deeply discounted weeklong stays at luxury resorts with opulent suites, pristine beaches, swim-up bars and private concierges.

But the Gagnons learned after they signed the contract that the club had numerous restrictions. The unavailability of many resorts, hidden fees and a requirement to pay extra for upgrades that would give them access to the swankiest rooms made it nearly impossible to book the kind of vacation that had impressed them during a pitch meeting.

“I was like, my God, we got had,” Ms. Gagnon said.

Vacation clubs are the latest twist on timeshares — an industry often criticized, and even mocked, for using aggressive sales tactics to persuade people to buy a share of a vacation property, giving them the right to use it for a certain number of days a year.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/realestate/unlimited-vacation-club-hyatt-contracts-deception.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Wk4.8fl2.8oKHifBEvqR_&smid=url-share

I've taken advantage of several vacation club/timeshare teaser deals (Honolulu, Palm Desert, Newport Beach, Las Vegas). The latest offer pitched to me is a 4 night upscale hotel in DC stay for $299 total plus a $200 hotel voucher for future stays.

The teaser deals are great if you can stomach their 2-3 hour hard sell pressure and can resist their ridiculously expensive proposals; one can go to many places based on one's schedule and convenience without being limited only to what they offer regarding time and location.

Their salespeople get quite annoyed when they can't convince me to drop thousands of dollars initially + monthly maintenance fees forever, but I see many elderly couples at these gatherings who I think may be their prime targets. IMO they all are a predatory operation.