The Grand Mayan SCAM in Nuevo Vallarta, my wife and I were also duped with gifts to come and see this timeshare scam. I kept asking for a "guarantee" or "proof" to everything they promised. They just kept double-talking and repeated themselves over and over again. After 5 hours, the price went from $90K to $9K and we bought (temporarily). Back at our hotel, I looked up the Grand Mayan and two days later we went back to cancel. They refused to let us cancel (which is illegal). They wanted us to make an appointment the morning before our flight left. I didn't have 5 hours to argue with them again so we sent an email cancellation from the hotel. I got home and sent a fax cancellation then sent a certified letter to the hotel. Finally they acknowledged my cancellation (within the 5 day period). I also contacted Profeco. Who knows, maybe they are paying everyone in Mexico off to keep quiet. Fortunately, I realized soon enough what a scam this place is. For your family's money do not buy at the Mayan.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
We bought it in 2004 and we stayed for the first time in 2006. Nuevo Vallarta--just trying to learn what's new with the company turns into a timeshare presentation! Pushy, pushy people trying to sell us more time when we have more than what we can use. It never last 90 minutes, even when they know that we won't buy. The last time, a woman kept telling us that we better buy now so we won't have to pay the five years of maintenance for improvements. I think that car salesmen are saints after dealing with these people! I want nothing more to do with these mega resorts because all they do is lie!
This is a follow up to a complaint made on July 1 on this site by me. I stated that I could not get through on the phone to Mayan Resorts or make a reservation during the winter season. Since that time, the Mayan has contacted me and resolved this situation in a completely satisfactory manner.
I am an owner of a Mayan Grand Luxxe unit of considerable expense. I have tried to make reservations and have been constantly given misinformation. This has occurred after hours of trying to get through on the phone. I would like to warn people not to buy any Mayan resort units if they want to go any time in the winter since they will not be able to get a reservation. I can't use what I bought.
We have owned a timeshare in the US for almost 15 years and have exchanged numerous times to vacation elsewhere. Last year we exchanged in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico through our exchange company at the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta. We enjoyed it so much that we were willing to attend a sales presentation but we knew since we already owned a timeshare, we would not be purchasing. At the end of the sales presentation, we were asked what the sales team would need to do to get us to buy at their resort. I said if we could do an even exchange that we would very strongly consider the deal; I did not expect that to be a possibility because of the large price difference in what we owned and their selling price. So their counter-offer to us was to offer to sell our resort and use those funds to pay for the purchase of a Mayan timeshare.
After careful consideration and the assurances proposed to us, we decided to proceed with the purchase. We put down $6619 and were going to pay the remaining balance using the sale of our US timeshare plus expecting a refund of almost all of the $6619 deposit. We were given 60 days to pay the balance and were assured that the sale of our US unit would sell in that time period. When the full amount came due in 60 days we went ahead and paid the balance out of our savings because I did not want to risk loss of our $6619 deposit.
It has now been 12 months with no sale and no way for us to contact anyone by phone. I have only been able to contact "Michael" by email. I tried contacting the original sales person and her manager by phone and fax but was unsuccessful. I feel that there has been a bait and switch tactic here that other vacationers at the Mayan Resorts should know about. I know that we are not the only ones who have been involved in this because another friend of ours who happened to be in Nuevo Vallarta at the same time ended up purchasing a unit at Mayan also. He was given the same assurances but because he did not pay off his balance, he had some additional negotiating power and Mayan actually took "transfer of title" of his old resort. In the meantime, we are out $17,200 which is the amount that our US timeshare unit was supposed to sell for to fund purchase of the Mayan timeshare. It goes without saying how far that $17,200 will go in today's economy as we have unfortunately tapped out of our savings due to the downturn in our business.
My wife and I went to Acapulco for our honey moon in May 2008 and got scam into buying a timeshare at the Mayan Palace for $10,400. Its was a big mistake. We went for a free tour and end up attending a 3 hours sale presentation.
They use a lots of sale tactics to trick you into thinking that everything sounds so good. They told us that if we don't use the 2 weeks that we have, we can rent it out for $1000 each and within 5 years we will get our money back. They said its was a good investment for the long term, the value of the timeshare will go up. All are lies. Timeshare are not like real estate, they will not go up. They didn't even tell us about the cancellation policy.
I recently did research online and found out that there were many people in the same situation like us. They are all been scam by the mexico timeshares. I hereby encourage that everybody stay away from Acapulco, but if you do go, stay away from the Mayan Palace. If anybody offer you a free tour, do not take it. There are consequences behind it.
On April 4, 2007 we attended a 90 minute time share presentation at the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. After a sales pitch that lasted 5 hours and was full of lies, we signed a contract. Later that night we read the 5 day cancellation policy on the contract, and decided to return to the office and cancel the contract. On April 5 we returned to the Member Services office at the resort to cancel. We were told that we had waived the right to receive a refund of our deposit, which was $9,870.00 when we signed a recital.
Not wanting to lose the deposit, we accepted a different contract for a lower price and they kept the higher deposit. Upon returning home we still felt that we had been victims of fraud. Finally, an internet research revealed that it is illegal in Mexico to waive the 5 day cancellation period or to not accept a cancellation with in that period. Six weeks later, we are again trying to cancel the contract and get our deposit back.
The sales people opened a credit card for us to put the deposit on. We now owe $9,870.00 on that card. We have contacted the credit company to dispute the transaction. We have a bill due to the Mayan Palace on June 3, 2007 for the amount of $6,350. I will not pay this. I am concerned about damage to my credit because of this.
My husband and I purchased a timeshare with a local affiliate of RCI - Point to Point Destinations of Vancouver, BC in August 2005. RCI membership is mandatory with our PTP membership and we receive 24,000 annual points to use at RCI resorts.
We booked a week's vacation over Christmas at Xpu Ha Palace Resort in the Mayan Riviera. We were told on the phone by RCI staff that we would be charged 31,000 points plus roughly $1500 Canadian dollars for the mandatory all-inclusive add-on fee (the 31,000 timeshare points were to cover the room only). We agreed. I went on to purchase non-refundable airline tickets two days later.
A couple of weeks later we received our printed confirmation in the mail from RCI. Not only was the all-inclusive add-on fee not $1500 Canadian, it was $2800 US! We had been quoted the amount applicable only up to and including December 16th; from December 17th to 29th, the price would jump to $2800. When I spoke to a customer service manager, she said they had made a note that they quoted us $2800 US and that I was the one in error. She went on to say she would be happy to find me another resort that might be closer to the cost we were expecting. I said that was absolutely unacceptable, as Xpu Ha Palace was the only resort we wanted to visit and had only agreed to Christmas week (Dec 22-29) because that was the only week available in the next year or so. She then said she could move us to December 1st at the same resort (at which point it would only cost $1500 US), though there had been no December 1st availability when we had called to make the booking in the first place, plus we would also end up with a fee to change our now-booked airline tickets.
When I checked the palace resorts website and went through their online booking process to secure a room from December 17th for 7 nights (within the December 17-29 range that RCI notes a $2800 add-on charge for all inclusive) I was quoted a total of $2400 US for my husband and I to stay, all inclusive.
I'll say it again... to book this hotel without the timeshare was $400 cheaper than using my RCI points, and that doesn't take into account that I have spent several thousand dollars on my timeshare!
We have $2,000 in non-refundable airline tickets booked for a vacation that will cost us a little over $1200 more than we had planned for (and could afford), PLUS the fact that booking outside of the timeshare program is $400 cheaper. That is absolutely criminal.
I was convinced by Mayan Resorts sales people that an upgrade to my timeshare from Mayan Palace to Mayan Place Regency would make it easier to rent and more saleable. I entered into a contract for $6,720.00 to complete this upgrade. I have since learned that this upgrade is doing nothing for me as I try to sell and rent the unit.
The list of benefits is this:Elite Reservations rental program (which I had available before),RCI enhanced pkg, certificates for cruise and vacation discounts, 50% off golf green fees (previously it was 20%), senior certificare (I'm NOT a senior), no mandatory maintenance fees after 5 years if I don't use the property??
Lots of free extra benefits and vacation bonuses but nothing tangible.
I owe a cash out of $4,368.00. I wonder what the consideration of this contract is? I have all the paperwork and had to email the sales office to get a list of benefits I paid for.
