Hilton Grand Vacations Reviews

It's not Hilton that's a bad company by any means, it's the reps that you spoke to. Not all of them are bad; in fact, most of them are hardworking and honest, just doing their jobs, but there's always some that like to lie and get paid for it. Lie to you and make a sale, they look good, but they make Hilton look worst. I assure you from my own experience, if one of my sales agents lied to a customer, they automatically would be written up and disciplined... If they promised something they shouldn't, I had no choice but to honor that... But again, it's not Hilton... it's those sales agents that care more about the money in their pocket instead of the money you're spending on a nice and enjoyable vacation.

As far as for fees, I know that if you don't book your dates within 45 days, there's a $50 fee and if you cancel your dates within 14 days there's a $200 fee I believe. At the same time, there are hardships so if you need to change your dates because of a family emergency, someone being deployed, etc... then refuse to pay for that fee. Tell them you want a refund and if you feel customer service is not being professional, then report it. You're spending your hard money and there's no reason to accept disrespect and a lack of professionalism from people are suppose to be there to assist you and help in any way to make your vacation stay an enjoyable one.

Again... it's not Hilton, but some of the people that Hilton chose to hire. I also know that by law you can dispute a transaction on your credit card for up to 6 months and still get your money back. So worst case scenario, if people don't want to work hard to keep you as a customer, then dispute the transaction, get your money back and don't from them... But again... Hilton is an awesome company and many, many of the team members really care about the guests... It's all about the guests. But just like in school when we were younger, there's always a few spoiled bunches that ruin it for everyone.

The property was nice, the staff were helpful and very friendly, except the bartender at the poolside bar and grill (which is the only restaurant at the resort and it has limited hours and menu). Many of the staff went out of their way to make sure we had what we needed or to help with questions or problems. The pool was great, the resort was spotless. They let us use the property for 7 extra hours after check out time, until our flight was scheduled. They have a "family room" with sofas, TVs, computers, books and games that you can use anytime.

All in all we were impressed, there were no surprises. We had to go thru a 2 hour presentation. We were prepared for the hard sell, but the guy that worked with us talked to us about his experiences before he worked at Hilton resorts, showed us the "owner suites" and had us watch a brief video. He showed us where there was complimentary snacks, coffee, teas, soda and juices that we could utilize at any time during our stay. It was open 9-9.

He ran the numbers for us. We said no, he said no problem, was still warm and friendly, explained that he had to let the manager present us with one more offer and whatever we decided no problem, he enjoyed getting to know us. No pressure at all. A few months later, we tried to use the voucher. We stayed at the Garden Hilton in Schaumburg just outside of Chicago. There wasn't a plain Hilton or Hilton resort available. We carefully read the terms of the voucher, then followed the instructions to the letter. After over a month of waiting, we found out that they were denying us the refund because we needed to stay at a Hilton or Hilton Club resort property and that the Garden HILTON did not qualify for the voucher. The voucher is about to expire so we are screwed out of using it. Nowhere did I read that we needed to stay at The Hilton or Hilton club only.

I have always preferred Marriott Properties, had been impressed by what we had experienced up until this voucher mess. Had I known we would not be reimbursed, I would have stayed at my favorite Marriott in Schaumburg. The Garden Hilton was nothing special! Hilton just lost out on my future business. It is not the money, it is the principle. It sounds like many others have had issues with the vouchers also. What a shame that after a good experience, they have to ruin our impression over less than $200.

I asked to speak to Quality Service and Bjorn basically said "too bad... too sad." The most they would do was make March 3, 2015 my new deadline for using it. I had told him that when I talked with the sales agent, I could only travel between June-Aug because of the kids being in school; no mention of an additional fee. I told her I wanted "on the beach," she said no problem; I would have plenty of opportunities to get what I needed.

I was a faithful customer of the Hilton brand and will tell you that this has tainted my thinking. I'm disappointed that the package was misrepresented and more importantly that the Hilton brand took the position of "sorry, no refunds!" I'm writing this review to alert people to make sure you get all of the facts and ask very detailed questions. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

At the time of our planned takeoff to Vegas, however, a medical emergency arose and I had to cancel. Telephoning the office number I had been given "If you have any further questions at all" I was told I would lose everything. Once I explained, the problem was an unforeseen and critical medical emergency, I was told I could maintain the opportunity for $19.95. Okay, no big deal there. A couple months later, conditions were right for remaking the reservation which was done with no trouble. Checking in at the Elara, I was surprised that while the discounted reservation was recorded, there was no notation that I was on their "marketing package" program. Standing right there, however, was an associate who made the necessary appointment.

At that appointment, my wife and I did get a variation on the "hard sell", but I'm not only used to that, every single detail and cost and billing date and terms of use as well as financing were carefully and completely spelled out. For us, it appears a good deal because aside from Palm Springs, we vacation repeatedly almost nowhere - and we have a phenomenal deal staying at a resort condo there through another vacation club. We're looking forward very much to playing around with our HGVC points and at Hilton properties here and there and everywhere. So far, its been a completely transparent purchase process and the deed contract is about as FAR from a "time-share" as you can get.

We did our time-share stint in the Caribbean over a period of twenty years while we were both still working. Now we look forward to all the time and place flexibility that the HGVC ownership is represented to allow. Of course being retired, we personally have great flexibility in scheduling our travels, so I believe this will work out very well for us. Will update when we've experienced some dates.

I could care less about the money, it's the premise that took detailed notes and the sales rep said nothing about this. In fact said this was such a good deal cause you can pick any day to show up. Strike 1. The funnier part is that I didn't know EVERYONE gets a $200 voucher. He put me on hold after I said no, came back and told me his manager approved $200 voucher for a future stay, but had to be used within 6 months, if that's not funny enough, I told him all my vacation and weddings were booked for the next 8 months, rooms and all so it wouldn't be helpful. Also work pays for my rooms on business trips. He then said this was a voucher off your whole receipt. So if I stay at a Hilton and get dinner an drinks, whether the room be paid from the business or points, this voucher could be mailed in with the receipt and I would get up to $200 of what the remainder of the bill was. He he he he. Well, we all know now that that's not true.

So when I read all the negative posts, I called in. I was basically told that regardless of what the first guy said, I was told later that this was for a room only. Seriously! I couldn't have made that dinner and drinks voucher stuff up! I got 10000 pts instead of the $200 voucher which I'll gladly take because it appears from all your posts below, that the voucher is impossible to redeem. This is part one, look for part two in a few weeks after my return... p.s. the wife and I will have a blast in Vegas regardless of HGV.

Our first problem was when we called in to book our stay. We encountered several times when we couldn't get through to the company and the phones were having problems. Then when we did, we were charged $50.00 because it had taken us over 45 days to call in and book. Fast forward to February 2014 - I am sent an email stating that this is their second attempt to contact me to confirm my trip to NYC for March 30th, 2014. I call the number in the email and speak to a "concierge" who goes over a bunch of information and then casually says that we will be staying at a different hotel. When I ask why, I am told that we were never told that we would be staying at The West 57th. I state that I have an email that shows that as our hotel and my call gets "dropped."

Last night my mother called to let me know that my 93-year-old grandfather is in the hospital with pneumonia. We call the following day to switch our trip dates because my mother (who is coming to stay with our children) can no longer come and my focus is now my grandfather - and they want to charge us another $200 to switch because we are within 14 days of our trip. Our trip is March 30th and it is the 16th! After about 45 min of my husband trying to reason with a very condescending and rude customer service rep., my husband is told that they will for this "one time in the entire history of their company" reduce the fees to $100.00.

My husband stated that this was still not okay and the woman tells my husband that she is recording all of the conversations and chatter going on within our home (I can only reason that she could hear my husband and I talking about our frustrations and desire to contact our bank. *Note: I was across the room from my husband). My husband proceeds to tell the rep that he believes that her "threat" is not only odd, but probably illegal. Suddenly she is willing to reduce the fee to $20.00. At this point, we have chosen to lose all of our money and NEVER deal with this company and their lies again. The money they have already collected is all they will ever get from us and we will continue to share our story in the hopes that people hear it and stop allowing companies to fraudulently take advantage of consumers. Doing a quick research on the internet, as well as their own social media sites let me know that we are in no way alone.

Honestly, he was trained that way and was never anything but nice. Where I got upset was when he bought over a man named Bobby **. He sat down and begin talking. I stopped him and said I wanted to clear up what I actually said not the way he was asking I said it. He said HGV has 2 rules: 1. I don't insult you and 2. you don't insult me. Next words out of his mouth were "You insulted me and I'm going to get SECURITY to walk you out." (Total time since Bobby has sit down 60 seconds) I was steamed.

He and Justin brought a guy and over and ask me to leave. I had asked someone else to find me a manager. A man named Brian ** (may have misspelled his last name). He was very nice. I told him what happened and he in turn asked Justin what happened. Bottom line, he handled it and I really appreciated it. We chose not to purchase a timeshare due to our own reasons. Bottom line, if you go, expect some pressure. Thanks Brian ** for your style. Bottom line, my anger was at Bobby **'s attitude. Totally unprofessional.

We followed through with their rules, stayed our 5 days at Waikoloa, went to a timeshare presentation and declined. They gave us the $200 Certificate which has instructions on how to redeem, but it has so many stipulations on what it DOESN'T COVER, it is very misleading. The large print says, "Thank you for visiting with us and learning more about Hilton Grand Vacations. We are pleased to present to you a rebate for one night's stay at any Hilton Hotel in the U.S. - maximum value is $200 USD." HOWEVER, the fine print says, "Certificate is not valid for stays at any of the following properties: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations."

I have 2 issues with Hilton - First: The document they give you makes it LOOK LIKE A REBATE, but then you still have to submit it to the Hilton Grand Vacations Certificate Program to get your rebate. Second: They say you can stay at ANY HILTON HOTEL IN THE US, but they place enormous restrictions on every Hilton Family of Hotels, they essentially guarantee that you will NEVER BE ABLE TO USE THE $200 CERTIFICATE. Story isn't over yet, as we still need to stay at another Hilton to get the $200 rebate (but who knows where since most of the restrictions are the only Hilton Hotels available in most cities). Hilton Grand Vacations has set up so many hurdles, it really is very poor advertising for a hotel we used to enjoy.

Unfortunately, because of few pressing personal reasons, I will not be able to make any vacation trips in March and in fact I will not be able to use this package till October of this year. As I don't want to lose these points and the package, I requested HGV a couple of times to consider this a special case and extend my package validity till the end of this year. Not only did HGV not respond to my phone calls and emails but also they were very rude on the phone as if they didn't care whether I can use the package before the expiry or not. They kept on telling me that it was written in the contract which I completely understand and hence I wanted them to consider my exceptional request and let me extend the validity. I am sure it won't cost HILTON a penny to extend my package but their customer service was JUST PATHETIC.

This helped me take the decision that I WILL NEVER BECOME a HILTON property OWNER EVER. Along with my money, my trust on Hilton customer service has completely drowned in deep ocean.

I let the rebate people know on the phone and in writing that I would take copies of everything I have and post it and people could see what the paperwork stated. IA woman told me that she would send it to their review board. I had to follow up a couple of times to see what the status was. I know a lot of people would just give up and drop this...but don't if feel you are right. I finally got it approved and got my check in the mail. I believe they try to get away with not reimbursing people on purpose hoping for the best by getting folks to stay at the hotels on the "Hilton" website and then stating that these are not a "Hilton Hotel."

After talking with my friends, we set up some dates and I called to reserve and also booked the timeshare spiel so we could work that into our plans. We showed up at the hotel, the hotel staff was very nice, but the HGVC reps were hit or miss. There was one gentleman who was very helpful and even got a taxi for me free of charge to get me to the presentation because we didn't have a rental for our trip; another rep gave me the deer in headlights look anytime I asked what apparently were non-standard questions and didn't even stand up to speak with me most of the time. He just opted to sit back in his chair a little to relaxed and unprofessional if you ask me.

Anyway onto the spiel--an older gentleman gave me the pitch and he was a very non-pushy person which actually surprised me. I asked if he owned a property (because why I would I buy something from someone if they didn't even own!) and thankfully he did. SO he was able to answer some questions about the usage of the properties and reservations and roll-over points and RCI, etc. When he asked how often I take vacations I told him that I really only get about 1 every other year and that I'm a pretty frugal person (not cheap; I just make the most of every penny!). He provided me with an option that allows for every other year ownership, meaning in my case that in even years I have to pay taxes and maintenance fees, and I get points, but in odd years I don't. That sounded pretty good to me, but the price although good, was still higher than what I had budgeted for.

I started with my arsenal of do you offer a discount for military/AAA/if I pay the amount in full, etc. He went to check with management and out came a more pushy, younger fellow closer to my age (I'm 31) who started talking quickly and offering a better deal. I just mindlessly nodded until he left because he was annoying and then I could talk to the older dude again because he was sane and not pushy. They were able to offer me a property in Vegas as opposed to the ones in Orlando that I was actually seeing, and since I don't like Vegas, I asked if I had to actually go to that one, or if I could go to other properties. He said that the points were good at all properties and that the Vegas and Orlando ones were the most desired so it would be easier for me to see other places than if I were in the reverse situation. So my final price was $12K which I paid in full so as not to incur interest because their interest rates are horrendous!

In December I received a bill for club dues and the price was higher than anticipated, I was a little peeved when I called the customer service rep and she explained everything to me and it made sense and it's not like the price was outrageous, it was just a little above what I had anticipated. In January I booked my first trip; there is a registration fee and you have to do it online. I think that a registration fee of $52 per reservation is a bit ridiculous but it is what it is. Anyway, I booked the trip for the Carlsbad, CA (near San Diego and right next to Legoland) for Valentine's/Presidents' Day weekend. A few days before the trip, the concierge called to ask if there were any particular places or attractions that I wanted to visit and then sent an email with recommendations based on what I mentioned.

When I checked in, they asked if I wanted to book a timeshare spiel for owners, and I declined. But the room was awesome! I had the 1-bedroom and the full kitchen so I was a cooking machine and only ate out 5 meals over my 7 day stay. Used the hot tub, the balcony, the outdoor grill, both pools, the spa and definitely hit up the concierge desk pretty much everyday. I figured they were there for me to use, so anytime I had questions on a particular place that I wanted to go, or recommendations for good beach areas, or ticket prices for different locations I'd ask. They also had different activities and events so I made sure I took advantage of those too. I did a little scavenger hunt and ended up winning so goofy little keychain. Also asked if there was a way to just go shopping at the Lego store in Legoland, and they said we could ask the people at the gate for a shopping pass and then have an hour to shop free of charge! Great un-advertised piece of information! So I set my watch and grabbed my camera and did the quickest tour of Legoland ever! Actually staying at the hotel was fabulous and well worth it in the end. There were some hiccups along the way, but the trip itself was all that was pitched to me and a little more.

Last thoughts for anyone:

1) Do your research ahead of time! This includes doing research on all timeshare companies, as well as the specific one you are looking into. (For example, if Hilton doesn't have vacation properties in the locations that you like to visit, then it probably isn't a good choice for you.)

2) Analyze your recent previous vacations: How long are they? What locations? How much does YOUR average trip cost (everyone is different!)? Do you spend most of your time relaxing at or around the hotel, or sightseeing? (Note: if the answer is sightseeing, then pouring money into a studio or 1 bedroom would be far more practical than a 3 bedroom! ) Calculate how much you would spend over X number of future years.

3) Have a list of questions before you see the presentation and bring it with you. Write down any new questions that come up as you experience the presentation. Cross off any questions that are answered during the course of the presentation and then ask EVERYTHING on your mind.

4) If you don't like the person who is giving you the speech, ask if there is someone else you may speak with and explain that you are interested, but are feeling too much pressure.

5) Be prepared to either dive in on the spot, OR walk away. You have to go with your gut feeling. If your gut says do it, then step away and phone a friend/family member who you trust for advice. If you still feel positive about it then do it! If you feel that it's not right for you, or just not right for you at this particular point in time, then end the presentation and thank the person for their time. As with telemarketers and car salespeople they will try to keep reeling you in, but stick to your gut decision.

Happy trails!

It sickens me that people who stayed at an Embassy Suites or Hampton were offered HHonor points at a concierge desk to sit through a timeshare presentation. If Grand Vacations wanted me to try and sign people up for timeshare presentations, I would have flat refused. And this is a person that won multiple Hilton awards in management.

So let me tell you my story. I am a HHonors member because I used to work at Hilton, and the last few nights I had been getting phone calls from a strange number. They called every evening for four straight days, and never left a message. Finally I answer the phone, and it’s a rep from Hilton Grand Vacations offering me a 4 day stay at the Elara in Las Vegas if I sat through a 2 hour timeshare presentation. I had zero interest in a scam timeshare, but chose not to hang up because I wanted to hear his pitch. When I said no thanks, he "spoke to his manager" and offered me a 4 night stay for $200 plus show tickets, dinner voucher, and a $100 voucher for a future Hilton hotel stay (trust me I saw a few of these vouchers and, like others have said, they are impossible to redeem). I will say that the guy on the phone was very pushy but accepted my "no" answer after about 4 times.

Anybody reading this... DO NOT BUY A TIMESHARE!!!! You can get just as good of a vacation for just your really HOA dues without a $50,000 purchase price, all sorts of hidden fees, and nobody wanting to buy I from you ever. Hilton is a great hotel company and one I am proud to work for, shame on them for getting in the scam timeshare business.

First incident: a few years ago we had a very negative experience with their NYC property where we WERE interested and have the income to purchase into their high-tier membership but the sales rep was livid we would not sign that afternoon and would not provide documentation on the tax treatment of this property that he told us about. We felt we should show it first to our accountant before signing up. They never called us back or sent us information on how we could claim a "favorable tax deduction" for the NYC location. We chalked it up and figured that despite the rudeness our stay was free for a night or two and then incredibly discounted when we stayed an additional night. We decided it was our gain because the pitch seemed shady and we love a visit to NYC.

Today's Incident: My complaint is with the sales approach for their Las Vegas properties. It seems that the sales staff in Las Vegas does not communicate with the corporate office and that the sales support staff in Las Vegas are not as well trained as the reservation staff who assist current members. SO... be ready for a "who's on first" experience. A few months ago I agreed to attend a Las Vegas sales pitch because we are starting to tire of Orlando and we are looking to see their other locations and possibly expand our points. I was willing to invest airfare for the two of us to see the possibilities of their new Elara property. I could not commit to a date but I placed the deposit and when I had the date I called them as instructed.

They tried to place me in their property behind the Flamingo and I was very clear that when I made the reservation because I was promised the Elara. They could see that in their notes and honored the agreement. I'm mentioning that because others have had this problem and they did not fare as well. Then, a few weeks ago I received a friendly call confirming the Las Vegas stay and asked that I call them back to confirm I'm still set, which I did and everything was good. What I've come to expect.

Tonight it all fell apart. A woman named Andrea called me back and left a rapid VM with a call back number and reservation number and told me I had to call - it was important. I had to listen to her angry voice 4 times as I replayed the message to figure out the numbers she left. Admittedly, I was a smart aleck when I called back because I read off my confirmation number rapidly to them to make the point that it is really rude. I was also bothered that they wanted me to confirm a second time. The first rep was rude. Rude. Rude. He told me that there was no record that they called me in December and while his records show that I called Orlando a few weeks ago he cannot tell what the impetus was for me to call them. The conversation went downhill rapidly. I asked him if he was implying that I called Orlando randomly (how would I have a number?) and he backed off but explained that while it's probably true they called me he has no proof of that, he can't know that for sure but he does need to reconfirm the reservation. I asked for his manager.

She was much more professional and went through the reservation specifics that have been explained to me, now, 4 times (Initial pitch, when I called with date, when I confirmed in December, and now tonight). She explained that people participating receive two calls. This seems like overkill. She also wanted to know if I had already booked my flight. At this point I felt like I was leaving for summer camp but I am surmising that they may have many people who accept this offer and then do not listen that there are some reasonable restrictions. I understand that but would have warmer feelings about this pitch if HGVC was not so disorganized. She then emailed me a letter to confirm everything she told me but it was actually missing some information she told. One thing she did NOT tell me that was in the letter was Promotions requiring attendance at a sales presentation are for the purpose of introducing the benefits of vacation ownership. As a result of state registration requirements, guests may not be eligible to purchase a vacation ownership interest in the project where the sales presentation occurs.

Even now with my membership based in Orlando I can make Club reservations 9 months out at other locations including Las Vegas. So, if they elect not to pitch me a Las Vegas membership my mission is accomplished to see the Elara to know if we'd want to stay there in the future with my existing points. BUT if I was new to HGVC, flew to Las Vegas and then learned I may not be able to purchase a week in that location I'd be peeved. Why would I purchase something I can't see? That's strange.

In a nutshell: I think this Las Vegas sales effort is mismanaged. I've reviewed the most recent lists of complaints. Most are troubling. Some, though, it's unclear if the person does not understand how to use their membership (i.e. I can never stay where I purchased, did you wait until the last minute?) If you DO buy membership you DO have to stay on top of it and commit in advance to get the dates you want. You do have to pay annual fees not to just clean a unit whether you use the points or not but also to maintain the property. That was clearly explained to us and we factored in that cost when we analyze our ROI. We have found that booking studios rather than 1 bedrooms is a great way to extend our points. We believe that our CURRENT membership is a reasonable, not great, investment for us, but it also can be transferred to others when we leave this earth so that also makes it worthwhile. After this recent runaround, I think we'll back off adding to our membership until we observe more of Hilton's progress with this venture. We LOVE the Intrawest properties and will explore that first.

Back to my story: We told the sales person that we would like to take a day or two to check our schedules to determine which city we would like to visit. The sales person insisted we needed to go ahead and make a commitment to the least expensive option (Las Vegas) to secure the very generous terms...3 nights in Las Vegas for $149 + Tax for 3 nights or $199 + tax for 4 nights. The New York option was a bit more $249 + tax for 2 nights (no 3 night option for NY). We were told that in either case we would also get 10,000 Hilton Honors points AND a $200 certificate to be used on a future stay at any Hilton property. The sales person was very adamant that we needed to take this offer now as there were only a few of "these" left and they were trying to close them out. We went ahead and signed up for the Las Vegas property but were reassured repeatedly we could upgrade to NY when we called to schedule our visit.

I spent 2 days looking into various airline options and pricing other aspects of the trip such as theater tickets. I found dates that worked and that allowed us to take advantage of a special fare option with a major airline that was about to expire. When I called HGV to verify the dates for the good airfares were available I was in for a rude surprise. The "scheduler" informed me that the NYC option would be $400 + tax. When I retrieved my notes from the original call (thank goodness I had taken a lot) I confirmed once again that the amount quoted was $249 + tax for 2 nights. He told me he could not remember seeing that offer in a long, long time and the best he might do is meet me in the middle at $350 which is the absolute lowest they had. As the whole original conversation was taped I asked him to get it out and listen. He told me it would be 5 to 7 days at a minimum to get this. I told him I would miss getting the airfares that would make this trip an option for my husband and I.

I asked to speak to a manager and had trouble getting him to transfer me. When he did the person I talked to asked me "Why in the world did you not take the offer of $249 for the two nights in NY when it was offered on the phone? That was a great offer?" I really found this offensive! I told her I did not take it because I was told I was free to switch when I scheduled the dates for the trip and that was why I asked to speak with her. She finally promised to review my recording this evening and get back to me a few hours so I could get the special on airfare. Of course she never got back to me. I placed a call and left a message but never heard back!!

I was sooooo disappointed by this whole experience as I love the Hilton brand and felt it always represented customer service/satisfaction with the utmost integrity. I trusted everything I was originally told because I believed in the Hilton brand. Then I found this site and realized I am one of many who had the same exact sleazy situation. I hope Hilton will see all these posts and realize that shady actions by HGV put their entire brand at risk. I certainly am not interested in being a part of HGV now and am seriously considering boycotting Hilton going forward (sob, sob! I love them so! ) just to make a point. I will call my credit card company first thing tomorrow and open a complaint against HGV. I have no intention of paying the initial $149 + tax charge now or ever. I hope someone at Hilton Corporate monitors these complaints as they do tell a very disturbing story. Hilton Customer Satisfaction Folks and Brand Management....Where are you??? ?

He came back very irate. I was texting my children and he said if you could put your phone away and stop texting we can hurry and get thru this and you can get your free gifts. He said I know that's the only reason you're here. That no one with money ever came to these things. I said I need to speak with your manager to which he replied you will get me fired if you tell on me.. Needless to say I was outta there in 30 mins. I've never felt discrimination in this manner. He was very degrading and unprofessional. I was shocked that Hilton would have someone like this working for them. I have been with Hilton honors since 1996 and accumulated quite a few points over the years. I will no longer do business with Hilton.

Cannot wait to sell this and I will start going back to Marriott or Starwood properties. Yes, the experience was so bad that I will no longer ever even stay at Hilton Hotels any longer. I will not give money to anything associated with them and I stay on average 60 - nights per year for work. That is how bad this experience is.

When I received my confirmation, everything looked fine. Casey had told me the Elara was on the Vegas Strip, so seeing the hotel listed as "HGVCLUB ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP" didn't set off any bells. When it came closer to the trip, I looked up the address of the hotel from my confirmation and realized that it was a completely different property than the Elara, which I'd been sold on. I called immediately, explaining my situation. The Elara, they told me, is now completely booked. I can't get a refund. Obviously, since I don't have a recording of my conversation with Casey, it's difficult for me to make a case. And, according to the fine print on the confirmation, if I elect not to stay at the confirmed property (again, NOT the one that was sold to me on the phone), I am responsible for "the difference between the special package price and the currently published nightly rate for the applicable resort at that time, plus premium costs and taxes."

As a consumer, I have no recourse except to claim that I didn't make up the name of a hotel (Elara) I'd never even heard of, and that this was definitely the hotel that I was sold on. I have no leverage for cancelling this stay which I purchased under false information.

We bought the deal. Then we called to book the room. First, the hotel on 57th is booked got the foreseeable future. Second, they tried to charge us an extra $100 for a weekend stay. When we complained, they offered to "split" the charge. Then he dropped the charge and tried to book us in a double tree. We demanded a refund for the 250 and we're told we would get it. We'll see. We have the employee's id number and are ready to raise a stink again if needed.

I really love hilton and we have been loyal to this brand for decades. I am shocked by how this was handled. I usually read these kind of reviews with a skeptical eye but I think the word "scam" is fair. I also think the phrase "bait and switch" is fair. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write the review. We would not have called to book the room so early if not for the reviews. The funny party is I actually stumbled on the site because I was googling information on how to buy a timeshare so I could make an informed decision on the spot! Anyway, beware everyone.

Of course, fewer points cost less and more points cost more (up to $200,000). Timeshare travel doesn't fit our lifestyle so we weren't interested but, really... the audacity to ask those kind of prices... unbelievable!!! If you have loads of money as the gentlemen who developed gel caps does, dropping a few thousand or even a couple hundred thousand is easy and won't be missed in his bank account. Most of us don't have unlimited funds so large purchases need to be considered carefully. I'm glad we didn't get sucked into this "deal". I hope future participants in the HGVC promotions read these posts and be prepared to really think about what they will be buying. We're very disappointed with Hilton. They have lost our gold star rating.

The scam includes: a) a quoted price that, once the contract is written up, somehow grew by $1000 along with a myriad of closing costs; b) a promise of hundreds of properties to choose from when, in fact, HGVC has a pitiful number of properties concentrated in a few weird locations and seems to be including all the RCI properties in this sweeping promise; c) non-disclosed additional costs for EVERYTHING you do with them - make a reservation, carry points over to the next year, trade in points for Hilton Honors points, and on and on. If I could have that hour of my life back and no longer worry about the burden imposed by this white elephant of a program, I would be extremely happy.

Hilton worldwide has 10 brands. 8 of which are able to be reimbursed. Hilton resort is one of the brands. Not meaning all Hilton worldwide brands are chosen for your rebate certificate. Once again. Your own fault for not being informed. Also, to someone that said you were charged an extra 50$ after the purchase, that was 46 days after your purchase. And you shouldn't procrastinate, because that was also told to you on your call that if you did not book within 45 days of purchase, you would lose your early booking discount.

I can assure almost every problem posted on here, when it pertains to the vacation packages is no one else's fault but the consumers. As an employee, I know this because of all the things we must say verbatim to keep things like these from happening. On the other hand, we sell about 750 of these packages a week. If these few negative comments are all we have had in about 6 months, obviously we are doing something right.

I am a pretty hard sell and was totally prepared after reading many of the horror stories on this site. I was not interested in a time share, was not in the market for a time share, and no way in #ell would I ever make a large purchase decision on the spot. I like to research things first. I figured this was a good way for my girlfriend and me to spend a few days in Vegas, which if you can handle the sales pitch, was worth it for us. The room was great, the show was not bad, the dinner was great, and we had a great time. It still cost us a bundle but at least I got 3 nights in a hotel, dinner, and a show out of it - for $250. Would I do it again - no.

So here is the basis of the pitch and I hope it helps others avoid what I conclude to be an absolutely terrible financial spend (it is by no means an investment). They absolutely have this process down pat and will have an answer to your every question or concern. They walk you through the entire process of having you calculate how many vacations you take, the cost of the hotels / stays for those vacations and then lo and behold, they will sell you "ownership" in one of their properties for less than what all those vacations cost you. How can you go wrong?

If you don't like the place they suckered you into, then you can use the annual points that come with it to get time anywhere in the world through RCI - a timeshare sharing website. What they don't tell you is that these very same timeshares can be bought for significantly less than what they are trying to sell it to you for - and being sold by the couple who succumbed to the pitch only to realize it was pretty much a scam. Just go on EBAY and search for the property you are interested in. Search for completed auctions, not current auctions - as many reticent couples are trying to recover way more than what the market is bearing and will never get anywhere near it, and you will see that you can get a fantastic time share, in a fantastic location, with great points, with anywhere from $1 (they are just trying to dump it to get out the annual fees) to $5000.

Keep in mind, that you are being sold these very same properties for $20K, $30K, $50K or more in these sales pitches. Better yet, don't even buy it, just rent these from owners trying to recover some of the annual maintenance fees. YOU CAN RENT MOST OF THESE DIRECTLY FROM THE OWNERS FOR LESS THAN THE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE FEES? So why would you buy?

The pitch is tailored to what they think your financial position is - the more they think you have, the larger the package they will sell you. One strategy is to simply tell them you are unemployed and not in a position to make a purchase - even then, they pitched me a $10,000 package (no details presented) and about 1500 points a year - not enough to trade for a place. Oh, and they will finance it for 10 years at 11.9% - gee what a deal. Surely I can afford a $150 payment even though I am unemployed? Once they saw I was not going to bite, they bring in the manager who just tries to sell me points. I don't even know what that is about. So I luckily get out in about an hour.

I think the best strategy is to just say you do not make decisions like this impulsively - which is what the entire presentation is about. They want you to sign then and there and will take any form of payment. Just stick to your guns and don't be wimpy. If you can't handle the pressure of these kinds of pitches, forfeit the $250 you spent and don't go. They know that if you walk away without signing, you will probably think about it, do some research, and figure out it is a scam.

Buy it the secondary market, better yet - rent it, but don't buy it in one of these pitches. If you do, you are simply paying for all the stays, dinners, and tickets for the ones that said no. Hope this helps.

Hilton always says "don't take my persistence for pressure to our clients..." but honestly it's very high pressure for the person on the other end of the phone. We are told to not let our customers off the phone till they either buy or hang up. Hilton does not care what you say. It's just about the sale. Not only that... But what really gets me is the way they treat their employees. There's so much favoritism and shady ** that goes on in the call center. If you're not on the elite team, you literally struggle with bad leads so you don't make your quota. So if they don't want you there, they literally ** with you till you either quit or they fire you!

I saw some things happen in the call center that blew my mind... completely inhumane! I saw things going on that made me lose my drive to even try to sell a package. A specific night time manager would give certain woman whom he enjoyed looking at the best leads in hopes of getting a little something on the side from them. He would give pieces of paper to these girls with information that would guarantee a sale.., and sure as ** after they got that paper, they'd make hella sales... and I heard him tell them they owe him money for getting them those sales. If all this stuff goes on in the call center that's supposed to be earning the trust of a customer, how can you really trust Hilton! You can't! Be aware of them! Don't buy into them!

We travel about 5-6 weeks a year in retirement and I assure you nobody reading this can even come to the table with our travel experiences. My ownership paid for itself in about five years tops. We only have to pay the HOA dues once a year now. Last year, we booked the DoubleTree for New Year’s Eve week in New York on Times Square only three weeks out. I got my upgraded room because I'm Diamond now and stayed six nights seven days on time square in New York! When I checked out my bill was $9300, we paid only points.

In March, my wife and I did four nights five days in Bora Bora, Tahiti in an over the water Bungalow which again my bill was $8422 and again we paid only in points that reoccur every year without inflation or expiration. Our Third trip was to London during one of the most infamous Tennis tournaments in the world. We stayed at the Hilton on Park lane. After British pound was converted to American dollars, this room was billed at $6800 for a week again only points that I paid for only one time. Fourth and final trip was for two weeks in Hawaii at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Collection property in Maui in a three bedroom suite. When we checked out my bill was $13880 and again points only! This concluded our year of travel as were both retired.

In my 34 years of employment, I created and patented the machine that puts prescription gel caps together and fortunately made millions before age 35. HGVC is not a cheap product but it is the Very Best for High End Vacationers. Our four children will inherit our ownership when we pass and have many quality years of memories as my wife and I have had ourselves. So before anyone goes and tries to put down what Hilton has developed over a 93 year impeccable stint, know the facts! Or at least be able to afford one of their top products that is second to none in the industry before you speak wrongly about something you have never invested a dollar in!

I take those comments personal when I have invested what I have and these clowns of a family who couldn't think twice on paying for even one of the trips I’ve been on speak the crap they do. The truth? HGVC is for successful families that like high end vacations. Not the cheap ** give me a free gift mooches who’s probably on welfare because they don’t want to work for a living! Get a Job! Build a business! Do something besides point the finger and look in the mirror! Because trust me, you’re the joke of the day! And everyone knows it! Period!

There were 2 cell phones in my home going off more than once that even after I said no, she convinced me to give her my credit card #. I also tried to tell her without explaining our financial situation that we couldn't. In her defense, she did give me a confirmation # & phone # to make our reservations which had to made in 45 days. I had answered my cell so she was on 1 line while I was on my home phone. As I stated, we were in the process of moving and still are and the piece of paper I scribbled on got thrown away. When I realized it had been thrown away, I thought no big deal it is Hilton. When I got on the website today to find Hilton Grand Vac a number was listed. When I phoned this #, it stated sorry this offer is no longer available & that's all. Now I've been taken 2x since I don't know how to even reach them to try to make a reservation.

We are both in our sixties with financial difficulties. I can't believe the Hilton would allow this to happen. We have always tried to stay @ a hotel affiliated with Hilton but if they allow this or allow someone to use their name to sell timeshares, then we will consider if the Hilton is really the quality we thought it was. Please help Thank you.

He took us across the street to show us their current MB location. We got to see a few rooms and then he led us to the sales pitch room. There he presented us with their basic plan which evidently was the same plan he'd been using himself which confirmed to me that he was setting us up from he beginning. As I started to ask a few choice questions, he brought the closer in to make a pitch. But before he let the closer start, he kept insisting the closer sign the packet he had in his hand before he'd let the closer start. Once the closer signed it, LANCE disappeared. The closer started insisting we sign up right away but I told him we were having some serious reservations about their club and if we could afford it. He kept lowering the price and asking if we could afford this new option.

We told him we liked the club but would need a few hours alone to discuss it. I asked if they had a card I could call them back on, but they ignored my request. I told him I was done and was ready to leave. He told us to wait a moment and he was getting a guy from HHonors to come over and give us our 20,000. The HHonors guy came over and said to us he wasn't part of their group so he wasn't going to pitch us anything. He asked if we had any questions and I told him I had a few about HHonors. That's when he launched into a sales pitch about another plan that would allow us to come back and set up HGVC at a later time and date but that we would have to pay for it then and there. We said no. They handed us a coupon for the points and asked us to leave.

I understand that this is their job and that's how they make their money so I don't hold it against them. Doesn't make the sour taste I got from the whole experience any less bitter.

Upon entering the room, we discovered that the rooms has 2 double, not queen, beds. The rooms with the king beds, we were told, were all booked. We have a queen bed at home, so this was a definite downgrade. Upon using the bathroom, I discovered that when I looked at the under-mounted sink at the sitting level, there was black mold growing under the faucet area. Upon closer inspection of the room, there was dust covering the tops of the lampshades. The beds were clean and comfortable.

We were originally booked for a 12 noon presentation of the Hilton Grand Vacations, but got it moved to a 9 AM slot before our arrival. We met Ed, our salesman, who showed us the accommodations and explained the point system, which we were already familiar with as we are members of the Disney Vacation Club. He explained that the Hilton Grand Vacations would be another vacation "tool" to use. He explained the cost for booking a room (free with Disney), and the cost of changing a reservation (also free with Disney). He also explained that maintenance fees had to be paid up front (we pay monthly with Disney). When we finally decided that we would have to wait to join, he left and came back with another offer... membership that could be used every other year.

When we decided that that also wouldn't work for us, they added extra points to our bottom line for the less than stellar accommodations as mentioned previously (the mold and dust), and he told us that they would write down the issues we had and bring them to the hotel to be fixed. When we then decided not to join at this time, other people came in with better and better offers. All this time, the paper that was to be used to write down the issues with our room, was left on the table untouched. When we finally said that we could not afford to join at this time, and got up to leave, Ed's whole attitude changed.

By this time we had spent 4 hours in the room, not the two hours advertised. He then told us to wait and someone would be in to give us our presentation "gifts", the $200 SANU and 15K HHilton Honors Points Certificate. When the woman from corporate came in with the gifts, she also tried to get us to sign up for a prepaid week's vacation (which I think was somewhere between $1600-$1700) which would hold the current price of the Hilton Grand Vacation for us until the end of the year. We politely declined and she gave us our gifts and we left. We never saw Ed again and no one ever cared to write down the issues that we had with our room. After reading all the other posts, I think we dodged a bullet. Think we'll stick with our Disney Vacation Club!

If you look at the room charge per night, it's now so inflated that if you use your maintenance fee, you could book 8 single night rooms at Hilton or any other 5 star hotel. Problem is if you don't ask the correct question, you get the guarded answer. It's a high class rip off for the young. Don't do it is the answer without talking to owners. Just put your money in a CD collect interest and use what would be your maintenance fee to book 5 star rooms anywhere. Nobody pays the listed rate -- just call a hotel directly or visit known website dealers and keep your $35k for schooling for the kids.

I made the mistake of opting to complete a post call survey: again done by IVR using a 1-9 point scale, which seemed odd. All the questions were about the agent and the call and not about their weird processes - which is actually what I wanted to complain about. At the last question, I was given an option to either leave a recorded message or speak to a supervisor. I opted for speaking to supervisor: I was then put in a queue: "all our agents are busy, etc." for three minutes! When I finally got answered by a rather monotone supervisor, he asked a few questions, gave no real answers and transferred me to another IVR!!! At this point, I lost patience and hung up. I thought this type of poor customer experience was a thing of the past. Apparently not. It's alive and well and living in Hilton.

The Problems began off the bat: They called me to make reservation (a little pushy!!). I gave them a date and hotel and they told me NO AVAILABILITY for that date. Then I was told there's an additional $99 fee for weekends because it's WEEKEND (never explained in the Sales pitch). Was told weekend NO AVAILABILITY till 2014. When I said if that's the case I don't want the offer... they said they'd try another weekend date...They said they had an opening the weekend before and after being put on hold by the reservation person, I was told her "manager" waived the $99 weekend extra fee, and it was the last room available that weekend. I agreed...

THEN she said, "Oh someone else just reserved that one," and again suggested a WEEKDAY stay. After a quick discussion with my wife, we reluctantly agreed. THEN she said our "2-Hr Presentation" would be at 1:30 on the only full day we had in NY. Both wife and I "had" to attend OR we would have to pay FULL HOTEL Price (another bombshell, $19.95 extra to change reservation dates... A Whopping $200 - if within 2 weeks of the original reservation (again another BOMB shell)). Discovered they had my wrong e-mail address and wrong telephone #, BUT they DID have my correct credit card #... which they already used to pay for the "HILTON GRAND VACATION OFFER". Will add to this as I find out more... I'm still awaiting a confirmation E-mail...

I then tried to book the trip via the website. NO dates were available. I tried 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 months out on weekdays and weekends. Nothing available online. I then repeatedly called the reservation number and was unable to make an automated reservation or speak to a human being. This message is all the value I will be receiving for $166.88. I may also let Hilton know that, unless they choose to help rectify this situation, my days as a Hilton Honors "Diamond" member are over. I will always try to find an alternative hotel chain. Good luck everyone. Welcome to the scam.

If for some reason I can't travel or use all my points, I simply convert them to Hilton Honor points and store them away for a weekend getaway with the wife or family. The conversion is 25 to 1 so my 10,000 club points can get me 250,000 Hilton Honor points a year. I used Hilton Honor points for a night stay at the Hilton Cancun (which no longer there) and I upgraded to one of their Jacuzzi Suites for $8. I used the Hilton Honor points to stay at the Hilton Baltimore when I was going to an International Soccer match, Hilton Garden Inn in Hershey with the family when we went to Hersheypark and DoubleTree in NY for a convention. I'm also planning a trip to stay at the Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Total cost to book the rooms $49.

It has now been nearly 2 months and still no check. We call and have to leave messages but no one calls back. We are being ignored while Hilton uses our money. When it does get returned I'll bet they don't pay interest. We are calling the Attorney General's office on Monday and also contacting our personal attorney.

I am extremely disappointed and feel that everything I was told was a bait and switch. At first they only offered other Hilton Hotels which were cheaper than I actually paid without having to spend time attending the presentation. I was not told that other hotels were part of the offering or that I would have to travel to the 57th St hotel even if I wasn't able to book there. I have vacation time left in 2013 and really wanted to take the trip by the end of the year. After reading the many other complaints I realize I am not alone in my frustration that I was misled.

I frequently stay at Hilton Hotels and am extremely disappointed in the treatment of a guest member of many years. This is not a company I will trust with future business. I can only hope that when I travel next April that the offering will be honored as I don't trust what they say. Also buyer beware as there is a No Cancellation policy that was not mentioned during the sales presentation. I only found out when I looked at the fine print that came in the email after I had purchased based on what I was told in the phone call.

I called my credit card company to see what recourse I had and was told that as long as they offered a stay at a hotel in NY I was not eligible for a refund even though what I was being offered was not what I was sold. I suggest anyone approached by Hilton Grand ask for the contract prior to signing up so you can read the fine print prior to making a big and costly mistake.

Recently I considered using my points for an All Inclusive in Mexico. What a joke. HGVC wanted a mandatory $2,000.00 charge for the meals and drinks for a one week stay. That plus the points I would need to use. I went to Expedia and found I could stay at the exact same resort, exact same time for only $1800.00 and save my points. What a joke!! HGVC has gotten a pretty sweet deal out of this. Figure out the fee you paid for your deeded place and times that by 51. Not bad considering what the place really cost them.

There are long waits on the phone when it comes to making reservations, and I am frequently passed on from one person to another. I was given a floating week which has numerous restrictions on the available time of use. When I have tried to deposit the week in exchange for Hilton points, I was told I could not do so unless I had requested it within a certain time frame. GP tried to sell me an "upgrade" Hilton Membership which I supposedly already had. There is limited availability when it comes to making reservations, and the staff in owner services has a take it or leave it attitude. I tried to make reservation from Friday through Thursday to accommodate my work schedule and was told I had A Sunday to Sunday week. It was my understanding I had a week of time. I was not informed that there were limitations on the days of use.

The overall service is lacking. On more than one occasion, I have been given a room where there is construction nearby and subsequently a lot of noise. GPX talks a better game than they deliver. Last time I went on vacation, I was told I was being given an upgrade. The unit I had was lovely; however, it was in keeping with the model unit I was shown when I made my purchase. Buyer Beware. I am sorry I bought time at GPP. Especially when their idea of providing a remedy is to tell me to buy an upgrade at Marbrisa.

I can't even see the hotels that are offered for my stay in the Myrtle Beach area because of the constant "no availability" message. I realize that it's someone's job to sell these vacations but to be led to believe that I can just pick dates and make a reservation is wrong and in my opinion a total scam to just get someone to sign up. I should have realized that this was the case once I was told there are no refunds for a vacation package that there was something wrong, just really didn't think that a program under the Hilton name would be such a scam.

I know my husband and I purchased a 2-bedroom condo for premium time (summer months) and have been unable to reserve a room due to no vacancies. In other words, HGVC doesn't have the product they sold. I'm sure that there are many others in this same "boat"; together, we should have a case. In addition, why must we pay the maintenance fees on something we are unable to use? It all sounds illegal and some consumer advocate needs to blow this scam to pieces. Hilton does not want the bad publicity and we no longer want Hilton.

Call Hilton Honors to get a contact to further this up the Hilton change of command. They said, "Grand Vacation is completely separate entity and we really can do nothing but transfer you back..." He basically said Grand Vac is not really part of Hilton. I asked why after making a reservation at a Hilton property, they asked to "uniquely" to listen to a promotion and get HH pts. Anyway longer story, but if they are this devious with buying a sales visit, what happens when booking or even trying to actually go for a timeshare. Buyer beware of the bait & switch.

With a recent job change, my husband and I cannot pay for this trip, nor are we able to pay the required additional fees to change the reservation date. It was quoted as $120 to change the date since I am within a two week window--the agent offered to waive it to $60 (half), but she said there is no way to cancel anything with this program. Also, if I choose to cancel the reservation, I will be charged a $50 cancellation fee. My only choice is to be a "no show" at the hotel and lose the opportunity AND my $167.00, which Hilton deducted from my credit card already.

Buyers, beware! Although it is essentially my own fault for being polite and therefore vulnerable to this situation, I would strongly caution anyone from trying to work with Hilton Honors to add points to their account OR save money with one of their discount "vacation packages". They WILL take your money and they WILL NOT give you an out, even if you are unable to claim use of the product sold. NO CANCELLATION POLICY!

I came online to see if anyone has strategies to make this work for us. I was told so many things by the very nice sales guy, that we could reschedule without a fee if necessary, that we could stay at the Embassy Suites at Disney World, that if it turned out that our grandson could not go we could change to Las Vegas -because I had to decide there and then on that call (since without the grandson we have NO interest in Orlando), that we could have an extension of 6 more months to make the reservation, etc. - All verbal assurances.

Having read 20 or so of the more recent entries, I am now afraid I've made a big mistake! I'd appreciate any strategy or help getting my trip booked as promised with all the perks included, or get our money back! I am horrified to read this about what I thought was a respectable company with which I have dealt for years.

Turning down that offer, I told him I would like to end the call because I never intend to ever buy a timeshare. He said in a snotty way, "Congratulations, Renee. You missed out on a great deal today," and he hung up. These people only care about entangling you in their net. Until today, I had a lot of respect for Hilton. I hope there are no consequences at the hotel level for rejecting their HGV. We will continue to stay at Hilton properties unless there is some kind of retaliation. Someone on the hotel side, where they treat you so well, should put his/her foot down with these guys because they are brand killers.

During our meeting, we asked questions regarding specific travel destinations and also about some of the perks. We are captains and were interested in the Moorings as a place to use the Hilton points. We asked to only see 2- and 3-bedroom units because they fit our needs and we did not want to see units we would not be interested in buying. We are considerate of other people's time.

When we went to the table to talk and for him to close the sale, we re-explained that we were very interested but needed to speak with our financial adviser before purchasing. ERIC became rude and pissy. He said, "Well, thanks very much. Some people can pull the trigger and some just can't." He was insulting and degrading. Not everyone is an impulse buyer. Everything that was told to us was never shown in writing. SMART, educated people research or do their due diligence before investing large amounts of money so they are not ripped off! We found our experience to be very unsettling and very disturbing.

First of all, people always think it sounds "too good to be true" when a Hilton Customer Service Representative calls a customer but the thing is, is that IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. They manipulate you into purchasing a vacation which only pressures you into putting your HARD EARNED MONEY into a timeshare. And if you do not put your money into a timeshare, you are only eligible to take a vacation ONCE a year. Now I’m sure they don't tell you, but you have to make a certain amount of money to even go on the VACATION, even if you’re not thinking of purchasing a timeshare.

I personally had this male customer tell me how he experienced this TRAGEDY when he ended up purchasing a VACATION, paid for it on his credit card and ended up getting a call a few weeks later telling him that he does not MAKE ENOUGH MONEY to go on the trip, AND ALSO his money will NOT BE REFUNDED. If you are a customer and would NOT LIKE to receive calls from HILTON GRAND VACATIONS, just tell the REP that you would like to be put on their DO NOT CALL LIST and LEGALLY they CANNOT call you after that. It’s a shame what greed can do to people. That's why this world is the way it is today. I’m just trying to prevent other people getting scammed because it’s not a good feeling AT ALL. I hope this post is helpful for the people who read it. And I truly apologize to the people who have been through such a tragedy with Hilton.

My husband retired in 2005 and I decided that I would retire in 2012. Because of the high cost of maintenance fees, we decided that we would sell back our time. We sold one week in 2010 for $9000.00 (we paid $16,000 for it). In 2011, we paid out the balance on a second week that we'd purchased and decided to sell it back in 2012. We'd paid a little over $13,000 for it and were told that the most we could get back was $2,000 to $3,000! We also found out that we were on a "waiting list" (there was sales still pending from 2011). We had arranged a vacation to Las Vegas with the remaining points that we had for 2012 in August.

We found out in October that my husband had stage four lung cancer. I tried to get them to allow us to push the vacation forward just until he completed chemotherapy, but to no avail. Everyone that I spoke to was so sorry to hear that my husband was sick, but could do nothing regarding extending the time. One lady even said that to do so would, "not be fair to others." We waited for a couple of months to see if maybe my husband would be well enough and we could still use the time before the end of the year and the closer we got to the end of the year, it was evident that he would not be strong enough to travel. Fearing that we'd have to pay maintenance fees again, we decided to deed back the time. The end result was that we lost all of the points that we'd paid for in 2012 and the full amount of the week we'd been trying to sell back.

I had paid $1,100.00 into it by this time. In the meantime, I talked to this real sweet lady in Florida named Katie. We became real good friends over the phone. When we canceled the trip, she became the woman from hell telling us we will never get to use any of Hilton properties. I was shocked to say the least. I did call many times after that asking for our money back. A couple of times we were told we would get a refund, but it never came. We feel we were lied to, cheated and scammed out of our money. If anyone knows who we can call to help us, it would be great.

I am retired, 65 and could use this money back. You soon learn not to trust anyone anymore and that's a sad thing because it's scams like this that make it hard for the honest ones.

The property was pretty nice but in a bad area of Vegas. We typically stay in the heart of the strip and this hotel is not there. Someday, it may be surrounded by other decent properties but the recession hit this block pretty hard. The rooms are very nice, but we don't vacation enough to make a purchase worthwhile and the salesperson pretty well agreed with that.

Either this site has had an effect on Hilton and they've cleaned the presentation up or people think they can get something for nothing. I just did the math in my head during the presentation and it wasn't adding up. I can't personally see paying that much money and having to then coordinate everything through Hilton to make it work. They use numbers based on hotel costs only and don't mention you still have to fly there, rent a car, meals, etc. to take a vacation. Our salesperson said she uses it all the time but then we found out she rents a place in Vegas?? Go figure... It's not the way I manage my finances. But again, the deal they offered was straightforward and a decent value.

I finally came across information stating that there was no refund policy and that I wasn't getting my money back. Like heck, I wasn't. I sent emails to the website, to their Facebook, to Hilton's website, emails, Facebook, etc. for hours and finally got a response back. I let every single person I contacted know that I was getting my money back one way or another. I also let them know that I wanted my phone number removed and I wanted NO ONE to contact myself or my family ever again. I regularly stay at Hilton Hotels but never signed up for HGV. I guess my very straightforward approach worked because it only took one email back for them to refund me.

I am currently shocked at a problem I had with making a reservation with the RCI. I had leftover points which were in RCI. Hilton borrowed my future points without telling me. I only wanted to use the old points and the sneaky way it's put online, I accidentally used future points. I needed those points to visit my son in the Marines. Now I don't have the points and literally threw away $600! Hilton has really gotten too greedy and lost the identity of who they used to be.

I've dealt with their sales people giving me excuses for weeks and weeks and weeks to no avail. I filed a BBB complaint to which I got a snooty response again from them unwilling to help or offer any kind of resolution. They're selling deeded real estate based on false pretenses. Their only "solution" is that I should buy more... Sorry, that's not happening, I will be contacting my bank to put a hold on all payments from their garbage firm and filing complaints with the Attorney General's office in Nevada and Florida against them.

Since I gave them 2 payments at once most of the time, it was done in almost half the time it was supposed to be. I figured that paying it that way I'd be cutting the interest principal in half also. So once I'd finished the payment book, I figured that was it - I'd paid my loan off so when I went out to Vegas for my vacation and went to one of their sales interviews and was told I still owed them about 4,500 dollars, you can only try to guess how surprised I was! And I was even more surprised when they told me that I was still paying and they showed me where the payments were being paid. So at that point, I just started telling them they were wrong and that I was going to go to my bank and if they were getting into my bank account that I'd be going to a lawyer about them ripping me off.

Once I got home, I checked with the bank and nothing was coming out of my account so I just figured they had screwed up and let go of it. Well about a month later, I started getting calls about being late on my payments so I told them that I'd finished my payment book off and I was paid off, the same thing I'd done with the guy in Vegas. The next thing they did was start calling and threatening me with all sort of things like screwing up my credit and stuff and they also kept wanting my credit card number which I said no to specially after that stuff that happened in the beginning of this whole thing.

The next thing they did was go about sending me my loan history and then when I said how was I supposed know that I owed them anything since I'd finished, that's when they told me I should have called them and gotten another payment book and that it was my "responsibility''. Have you ever heard of that before? I told them that so I asked them for a payment book and got one about a month later but they kept calling and bothering me till I made the first payment . Now I'm being told I owe late charges which I'm refusing to pay so they're threatening me again even when I ask how I was supposed to pay when I had no way of even knowing I owed them anything. but they did send me a letter threatening to take my VIP tier status and then they sent me another payment book stating that my payments start March 25, 2013 and they say I owe $4,405 but these payment books only add up to $2407.46.

So if they offer you a deal to upgrade, beware and ask everything you can about the payment schedule and if they are calling and bothering you, just tell them you're going to or are recording the call and see how fast they hang up because that's the last thing they want - for you to be able to show how they are threatening you, but by now I've gotten them to send me enough of a paper trail so if I've got to go to court. I can show just what they've been up too. Good luck.

The first voucher, I used in a Hampton Inn. I received the dreaded post card telling me that since it was not a Hilton, they could not honor it. I wrote a letter to the President of HGV. Three weeks later, I received my $100 for my voucher. The next voucher I received, I specified that I wanted one for the Embassy Suites. I received one for $200. Overall, the experience was what I expected it to be. The people we dealt with were courteous. If I get another offer, I will probably take. Makes for an inexpensive vacation. Rest assured, I will refer them to this site and ask them to address the dissatisfaction of those I have read here.

The reason I am writing this note, we got a "$100 Spend a Night on Us" certificate since we attended the sales presentation. We used it a few weeks ago and got a post card today saying that it was invalid since it was only good for a stay at a Hilton Hotel or Hilton Club only. We stayed at a Homewood Suites by Hilton. They are very misleading on their wording so look out. If you can take the high pressure for 3 hours, it is an okay deal. The resort was very nice along with the staff, but watch out for the sales pitch. Again after reading the reviews on this site, I am glad we said no.

In 2010, my husband and I booked a room at the Park Lane Hilton in London for six nights for 156,000 points total. Today, I checked the Hilton website and found that under the new points scam, a single night at the same hotel for the same room (Queen Executive) on exactly the same calendar days is 321,304 points! That's a single night! So the six nights would now cost almost two million points. Let me give you another example: I booked the Hilton Charles de Gaulle for 6 nights at 24,000 a night last month, which equaled 144,000. Today, that same room at the same hotel for the same calendar days is 300,000 for 6 nights. This is an outrage.

I have played by Hilton's rules. I have an HHonors American Express on which I put all of my living expenses. Mine is not a corporate account. I am a teacher who has followed Hilton Honors' guidelines and I have also had Hilton brand loyalty for many years, and this is how they repay their members. I am outraged and I want to start a boycott of this program! This is an example of unethical corporate behavior. They need to know that it is not acceptable for them to make our hard-earned points practically worthless!

Why do I believe people, I don't know? I just can't believe they flat out lie just to get a paycheck. Long story short, due to another health issue, I had to pay yet another fee to have dates changed. The ocean front room turned out to be on the side of the building over a parking lot. The balcony was big enough for two tiny chairs and a table. And we could actually see the water without hanging over the balcony. We asked about the incorrect room as we wanted to be moved, and they stated that the only way this would happen was if we paid an $80 upgrade fee for each night… and so it begins!

I was promised a $200 "Spend a Night on Us" certificate once the presentation was over. I received it and noted under the date on the signature that the offer expires in 6 months. We used it right away at a Hampton Inn in North Carolina. It was quite expensive but we were so happy to have the certificate, we didn't care! Well, I mislaid the certificate but sent it in a full month before the expiration date. I was sent a postcard that the fine print reads that it must be sent in within 30 days of the stay to be valid. I spoke with several people about how deceiving this is to have in large print that you have 6 months and in small print on another of the many sheets, that you have 30 days. No one cared and although they did "review" the claim, they could not redeem the certificate.

I hate to even complain when I see some of the other complaints and the amount of money people have been scammed, but cancer is expensive and this was to be a little getaway before more treatments. Shame on Hilton Grand Vacations and all of their unlawful employees who participate in this shameful business. I hope anyone entertaining any thoughts about these scams gets a chance to read all of the reviews!

I was told by a phone text (I don't even know who this person was) that I could attend their package/timeshare sales pitch an individual and to call a certain 800 number to book my reservation for Hilton Carlsbad. Every time I called to book my individual package they told me, "But you're married right?" or that they couldn't find my paperwork and to call back in one day. Then 6 days. Then 7 days? And would not book my reservation that I paid $249. Diane went so far as to ask me, "Are you still married or legally separated?" How is that anyone's ** business?! Especially after I was told I could sign up for the individual package, but the 800 number would not book me.

Hilton corporate's response, "We have nothing to do with them." Even though Hilton is in the name, I stood at Hilton booking the package for another Hilton?! Hilton corporate transferred me to Hilton Grand Vacation Club corporate office, which transferred me again, and then told me they couldn't find me in their system. I made over 10 calls trying to book my individual package and got nowhere, so I asked for a refund. Hilton, you're a bunch of incompetent scammers!

First, it was three nights for $150, then they lowered it to $100 and said they would give us a free certificate for $100 rebate on "any" Hilton property. During their pitch, I asked very specific questions and told them the offer would not work for us due to time limitations on the offer. He said he would extend the time so we could go when the kids got out of school next year. He also told me, "Don't worry," that the call was recorded (but I don't have that recording and doubt I ever will) and assured me that everything he told me verbally would be memorialized in an email that would be sent shortly. After a number of conversations over three days, I plunked down $100. Later that day, they sent an email and the terms were either wrong, incomplete or missing. They included:

No details as to what properties the $100 Spend A Night On US Certificate pertained to and no information on any restrictions on the same. They sent a broken link that wouldn't open so it did not fully identify the information in the email; I didn't fully know what I was agreeing to. And they failed to extend the promotion past 365 days from the date of purchase, which we repeatedly told him didn't work for our kids' schedules and they agreed "on tape" to do.

I asked for a refund and if they are smart, they will pay it. Otherwise, I have to file a complaint with the state and ask Amex for a refund. These things probably work for some people but when you can't trust an organization like Hilton to do the things they say, you're likely better off hanging up. But I will say that I am annoyed enough to be the first in line for a nice class action lawsuit. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

The next day, I received a call and was told that Myrtle Beach in fact is part of the VIP package. I then proceeded to ask about the 2nd week of May. I was told the property had no VIP rooms available. Additionally, I can only go up to a 2-room. The 3 rooms are only for time-share owners. She continued checking, and the closest date available is August and only for 5 nights. I'm super glad we didn't buy a time-share, and we will have to figure out another trip.

Little did they tell you the offer they sell you is about 300% more than what you are paying now and you are committed to it for 10 years with $1,000 maintenance fee each year. Bottom line is say no. They are hardsell people and won't back off. Take a look at the eBay price on these timeshare and you will know nobody wants them. Not to mention that the resale value is only half of what you paid for if Hilton decides to buy back from you. (The sales people told me there is no transaction value lost but from all the stuff I read, I think the most you can get back is 50% of your purchase.)

We would have upgraded but doing the math, we were not as bad as they claimed, meaning the price per point or annual fee per point. We are talking about a couple of hundred dollars although they make it sound like a big deal. We had bought less that at $3 a point. They wanted to sell us at more than $6 a point. They would only trade in by paying what we paid 8 years ago. Anyways, we would have upgraded for more points but their paperwork was a rush. They would not allow a review even if I could snap it and send to my lawyer by phone same day. Then the deed did not math what we were promised. We were getting smaller suites the premium promised. Luckily, I asked for details and a letter explaining so as documents could not be changed. Then they said it was a mistake and if I wanted the premium I had to pay more. So I cancelled and money was credited back.

Although they say no pressure, it is high pressure. If the bait and switch is presentable, then I have all the paperwork to prove in a State vs. HGVC lawsuit. We figured every alternate year works: lower timeshare, annual fees split over 2 years, and then use the cash option book 30 days in advance. There is no need to put all your money in one basket. It depends entirely on your need. Next time I have all numbers, this time I will go in armed with a laptop and everything in spreadsheets to catch sales on their lies.

There are too many fine prints and conditions which you get along with the receipt in the email after you have paid $223.88. I told them that I would be traveling alone and the agent said that I had to bring my wife along. That's part of "deal." When I objected, they said that they would play the voice recording and if it has "I will not be bringing my wife along," in it then, they would refund the amount. I told them keep the $223.88 and cancel my "vacation." During the sales promo, the sales agent told me that it's fun to spend 2 hours to see different Hilton properties, but after reading other reviews, I think it was a right decision to cancel the whole package.

I knew that I would be required to sit through a high pressured sales pitch and was willing to give it a listen. And then the problems started: constant harassing calls at all hours. Those who phoned had no knowledge of any of the information that I had already discussed with their telemarketers. And then the icing on the cake, there was an unauthorized $50.00 charge on my credit card made without notice or permission. Because I did not make the reservations at least 45 days after I was talked to, allowing them to charge me $223.88 for the 4 days/3 nights stay. I phoned the number associated with the only information that I had received (which upon review of the fine print confirmed that I had not given permission nor was notified of the possibility of this random charge). And after waiting for what must have been 10 minutes on hold, I spoke with several people who promised upgrades and removal of the charges if I would not cancel the deal. They also insisted that there would be no refund.

I explained that since they could not provide me with documentation supporting the $50.00 charge, I demanded that they immediately remove the charge from my credit card and that I would pursue every legal means possible to obtain a refund (as I understand the current laws if a service cannot be provided the money charged for promised services can be challenged through your credit card company). I will consult my better half (a very easily angered attorney) and will try to update with how we were able to with this little battle.

It's over-priced, and they make it very, very difficult to actually use your points. Save your money and don't buy. They do a great job of selling the place and make it seem like you have hundreds of options on where you can vacation, but in reality, it's quite limited. Overall, it's a very frustrating experience, which is a shame, because generally I am fan of the Hilton brand. We know we are stuck with it, and boy, do we have buyer's remorse.

During this time, we were told that if we purchased the timeshare vacation rental property, we had access to Hilton properties worldwide at discounted rates. My wife and I spoke about our plans to visit Paris in the summer of 2013. Both Mr. ** and Ms. ** confirmed that we could avail of our HGVC credits (converted to Hilton HHonors points) and stay in Paris for free. Little did we know that even if we accumulated all points (bonus points, current year and future year allotments), we would not have enough Hilton HHonors points to stay at a Hilton hotel in Paris, for even one night.

Naturally, we were elated and decided to proceed with the purchase of the timeshare property. We made the full purchase with 100% cash. It was communicated to us by Ms. ** that the annualized maintenance costs would be approximately $800.00. Little did we know that the effective price with the add-ons would balloon to $1,157.00 per year. Although the details may be documented in the contract, we were not provided with adequate time to review the contract in details. The majority of the discussions were completed verbally and the number that the sales personnel repeat is what we used for computation of affordability at the time of purchasing.

The next aspect that we discussed was the selling process should we decide to sell the timeshare property that we have purchased. Ms. ** very promptly said that HGVC reserves the right of first refusal to purchase the property at any time should we decide to sell it. My obvious question was the differential from purchased price. Her response was that usually there was no gain and no loss in such transactions. Since the package that we purchased does not provide financial or even logistical sense, Dana and I took a joint decision to sell the property. So I sent an email to Ms. ** and was given a 1-800 contact number to call for resale. I was subsequently redirected to Ms. ** (305-604-8225 x **) from Grand Vacations Realty located at the South Beach property. I was astonished by the information she communicated:

4. Notwithstanding, Grand Vacation Realty is making no commitment on the price at which they will sell the timeshare property. Mr. ** very promptly sent me the listing agreement.

I also take this opportunity to affirm the following:

5. The offer from Wyndham was superior and we were well within the State of Nevada statute on cancellation of the HGVC contract within 5 days of purchase. We did not proceed with Wyndham since we trusted the Hilton brand.

However, trusting the Hilton brand has put us into a loss-making situation. We are currently in a conundrum. If we stay with HGVC, we will keep racking up annual maintenance costs without utilizing this property or other properties. If we choose to sell at any cost, based on the discussions with Ms. **, we end up losing 70% of the capital amount of $12,000.00. Is that a fair proposition? This entire experience has left a very bad taste and has shaken our confidence in the Hilton brand and group overall.

Myrtle Beach is always pleasant. The hotel was marginal (but the staff was very nice) and the hotel I stayed in was not a Hilton, so I get no points for staying there! I sat through their lecture and got out as quickly as possible. My relationship with Hilton has just ended as of this weekend and I will never subject myself to that crap again. They lost a longtime (formerly very happy) Hilton customer. Their timeshare points system is interesting but way overpriced. Scam, double talk, money-grubbing, unscrupulous, but all totally legal. I suspect it's all just under the radar of the RICO Act. Stay away!

I had no problem with availability because I knew to call in advance to book my travel dates. Logically, it doesn't make sense to wait until the last minute to book your travel dates. I actually called 6 weeks before I traveled to Vegas and was able to choose between two properties. I actually had someone from Hilton contact me, after the sale, and that individual did a fantastic job guiding me through the entire process.

Timeshare is timeshare. I expected to spend anywhere from 2-3 on a presentation during my stay in Vegas. I also knew that multiple sales representatives would do their best to convince me by dropping the price each time - it's part of the process. Hilton's presentation was very informative and the only "real" pressure was my own interest. I wouldn't attend any types of sales presentation if you're a person who is short on time or can't handle saying the word "no". However, if you want to learn more about Hilton and their program, it's well worth your time. The end result is that I didn't purchase into Hilton's ownership program and I still received all of the gifts that were promised. I recently purchased another promotion to Hawaii (Waikoloa) and will look forward to hearing what they have to offer during the presentation.

When I asked to speak with a supervisor, the representative declined to transfer me as all supervisors are currently busy now and none will be able to help you even if they were free. I have honestly tried to make the most of ownership, and with the use of this property. Reality is it's average at best, and you can rent this 3-star hotel for less - any day of the week - for what we paid for it. You will get the same poor to average treatment, and you will not have to pay what we did for the chance of staying. I recommend you save your money and book via 3rd party if you absolutely must stay here. The one thing this hotel is really, really good at is saying they are sorry. I had to say one nice thing.

After fighting with them for an hour on the phone, standing in the lobby of this Hilton, they gave me a hotel room at another hotel. The presentation wasn't the 45 minutes they said it was. They were nasty, pushy (to be expected), and didn't care about our plans. Now, they are telling me they aren't going to give back the money they owe me. You've got to be kidding me! I have called them and they said it will take 6-8 weeks to investigate - why that long? I have also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau so maybe other people won't get screwed the way I, and so many other people, have been by this offer.

But on June 3rd, I went in the kitchen to cook and I felt something kind of strange in my mouth. I went into the bathroom to take a look and my tongue had swollen up to my throat. I got so scared. So, my son rushed me to the ER. The next thing I knew, I woke up 1-1/2 later with these long coils down my throat and in ICU. I had almost died, the doctor said. So to make a long story short, I was in ICU from the 3rd of June to the 12th of June from an allergic reaction from some blood pressure medicine.

The next day, I was having problems breathing and had to be rushed right back to ER. I almost died again. I stayed in ICU and didn't get released until June 21st, 2012. When I left, I had 11 prescriptions, and all the muscles in my legs were gone. I had gone through hell and back. In the meantime, my husband on and off stayed at the hospital with me between going back and forth to work. He was stressed-out too because he almost lost me twice.

Well, we couldn't make it to the Hilton and he called them and told them what happened and they just didn't care. They told him we missed the deadline to call and cancel and if we didn't come, we would lose our money. And my husband asked if we could reschedule and they said we had to pay. He argued his point and they didn't care. So he went higher up and they didn't care. After that, I told my husband I was going to write a complaint after I get out of the hospital and on my feet.

We got a letter from the Hilton Grand Vacation Club stating that we could reschedule to Oct. 22, 2012, and that they would use the $330 we paid already in full, because they knew I was going to write a complaint. How messed-up is that. We own timeshare with the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, 3 bedrooms 2 baths and bought with ocean view. So anywhere we went, we got an ocean view. What they did is unforgettable and unforgivable. We rescheduled for Sept. 28th, 2012 for the weekend. And I'm going to tell them at the presentation how messed-up what they did to me was. The doctors told me not to stress and I was so mad and hurt and disappointed I had to say something to people out there who think the Hilton is wonderful. They are without heart.

Finally, I asked to speak to a supervisor. Steve ** came on the line. He made things worse. He interrupted me, he talked over me, and he kept asking me what it was that I did not agree to. I told him to cancel my reservation because I was not provided with all the information I asked for before my credit card was charged. I asked for the Hilton Grand Vacations # in FL (407-722-3100). I am certain if I call there, I would only be pressured further. This is a total scam and I intend to broadcast this to everyone I know. If you are interested in helping, please send me an e-mail at **. I will create a flyer with facts and we can let it go viral. Shame on Hilton… I will not stay at their properties moving forward.

So I called the number on the confirmation, told them my story and after some token resistance offering alternatives, they agreed to credit my card in full. Now maybe it's because they knew they'd be covered by EEC consumer laws for distance selling that provide 7 days cooling off for sales like this, or maybe not. I didn't have to pull that nugget out of the bag as they agreed to refund. So, still a happy HH member, although I'll be happier when I see the credit on my card statement.

Turns out to be a timeshare, not evaluating one of their new hotels. Turns out it is over 3 hours they kept us, not an hour. Turns out there is no lunch as promised, just some unhealthy snacks and sodas. The salesman did nothing but lie and insult us and the people we are associated with. He called my financial adviser a moron and idiot among other things. We sat through a hard sale with typical psychological tricks and threats. They then had us waste our time filling out a complaint form for the hotel they placed us in. They said we only had an hour to fill it out and they could not do anything unless we filled it out right then and there. They probably just threw it away as we have heard nothing concerning our complaints.

The whole experience was insulting and degrading. There was no savings on a vacation going somewhere. I typically would not go and stay in a hotel I would never choose to stay in. The inconvenience of dealing with these scam artists, paying for things I would have never paid for and staying at a place I would never have stayed in just wasted our time and ruined a one of only a very few days’ time I have for vacationing. I just can't understand how they can treat you like this and then hard sell you and insult you, and expect you to purchase a timeshare on the spot without any due diligence. Realize you are just a mark or sucker for them if you purchase.

There are hundreds of these timeshares being sold dirt cheap compared to what they want you to pay. They misrepresent the costs of owning one of these properties and they misrepresent your ability to use your vacation when you want. They don't tell you about the $1,000 or more a year you must pay just in fees, in addition to what you pay. They don't tell you the costs of booking your timeshare. They present financial information such as "Buy this through the business and deduct it as a business expense." They represent it as an investment. I feel sorry for anyone who falls pray to this. "If you don't purchase today, right now, you will lose your right to purchase forever. Once you leave, you can never return." Car salesmen could learn a lot from these scam artists.

I would have never gone to a timeshare, but having been called as a diamond member from Hilton, I let my guard down. Not going to happen again. Since the trip, I have searched the internet to see what this timeshare is all about. Not like I would have purchased to begin with, but it is scary to see how all of my concerns were real. We dodged a nasty bullet.

The hotel they were going to put us up in Patricia Grand was not the same as on the website. The resort hotel listed on their website is where you go to the timeshare. The Patricia Grand ended up only being $33 more than the $175.00 that was paid. I was ripped off. I needed to change the reservation and they actually wanted me to pay an extra $20 for cancellation fee. That’s when I just canceled the whole trip and after reading these complaints, I am glad I did. It will be a long time before I set foot in a Hilton hotel. I feel duped and am out of hard-earned money that I could have used for a real vacation. Lesson learned.

In addition to the hotel stay, we were promised a certificate for up to $200 to be used as a credit for a one-night stay at any of the Hilton family of hotels. We accepted and attended the presentation in Orlando on February 2, 2012. At the conclusion of our meeting with HGV personnel, we were given the certificate and told that it would be honored at any Hilton hotel facility, including Hampton Inn which is owned by Hilton, anytime prior to August 2, 2012. On May 25, 2012, we stayed two nights at the Hampton Inn in Abingdon, VA and submitted the certificate with supporting receipts (as directed by HGV) to HGV certificate program (HGVCP) in MN. On June 25, 2012, we received by mail a notification from HGV certificate program that our claim was invalid since the certificate only covers one night. The original certificate was kept by HGVCP as well as receipts supporting the claim.

After reviewing the denial, I searched the Internet and found that many others have been victimized by HGV and HGVCP. Attached to this form are copies of the relevant documents regarding our complaint and an excerpt of recent similar complaints about the methods HGV and HGVCP utilize in conducting their business. More complaints can be found at the following website: **. This conduct is not in the interests of the fine state of Florida and should be investigated in order that HGV and HGVCP are required to honor the representations made by personnel acting on its behalf.

The experience was a disappointment and I regret that we spent a nickel on the trip to be subjected to such tactics. Perhaps my assessment of Hilton's value equation is off the mark, but I will never stay in another Hilton property after this fiasco. We continued to be pitched on the high quality of the Hilton brand, while at the Hilton Myrtle Beach resort we stayed at, I would have received higher value from dollar chains (Hilton charged for parking, internet, had no complimentary breakfast, had an old property, inadequate A/C and B/Rs, blah, blah, blah). Caveat emptor. I recommend vacation selection a la carte. You'll get more value for your hard earned money and not be treated so shabbily.

This is how I did it. In the small print, it clearly mentions that you must be eligible and qualify for the package and that if you were employed by an affiliate and/or subsidiary, you are not eligible. This is the angle I took. I called the 800-482-0047 number and told them that I just read the fine print and realized that I am not eligible because I do actually work as a contractor for Hilton Worldwide, thus making me an affiliate of Hilton. They apologized that I am not eligible and said in this case, even though the package is not refundable, they will refund the full amount. I suggest anyone who signs up inadvertently for this deal, do the same. There was no argument or sales speech involved, and I was off the phone in 10 mins.

I called Gail on 3/5, gave her info, and she didn't find anything either. So I spoke with her supervisor Francisco. I gave him the MasterCard charge information and 3 phone numbers; he said he'll call back in 24-48 hours. It's now 3/20 and I've gotten no call. I called him again at 877-246-242, but I got his answering machine. I left a message with my phone numbers and asked him to call back and at least leave a message that he'd call back. This is beginning to look pretty unresponsive. I wonder if others have had similar experiences—being actually charged, then having Hilton Grand Vacations become completely unresponsive. If so, it's probably time to organize some sort of response.

The "How to redeem" information clearly states, "We are pleased to present to you a rebate for one night's stay at any Hilton Hotel in the U.S." A Google search of Hilton Hotels lists the entire brand of Hilton hotels, in which a reasonable person would expect to mean that "any Hilton Hotel" meant any Hilton Hotel brand. I would like my $100 rebate, as was promised at every stage of the Hilton Grand Vacations trip, from the first call to the day of check-out.

The "How to redeem" information clearly states, "We are pleased to present to you a rebate for one night's stay at any Hilton Hotel in the U.S." A Google search of Hilton Hotels lists the entire brand of Hilton hotels, which a reasonable person would expect to mean that "any Hilton Hotel" meant any Hilton Hotel brand. I would like my $100 rebate, as was promised at every stage of the Hilton Grand Vacations trip, from the first call to the day of check-out.

There were no rooms in Hawaii this year, or last year. We paid $81.00 to "rescue" points from 2011. But we lost the points because Hilton insists that they see that we tried to "rescue" the points in June, but it never went through. Really? It has been one problem after another. Now we have double payments taken out, two days apart. I, too, thought that Hilton was a reputable company. I am sad to say, this has been a disaster.

I called back to cancel and they told me I couldn't do it. I asked to speak to a supervisor and he tried to sweeten the pot by upgrading Orlando to seven days. I told them I still wanted to cancel and they continued the high pressure sales. When I threatened to report them to FCC and get an attorney, they backed off but it took forever to get my credit card credited for the deposit.

I told them to take me off their lists and never call me again. That was six months ago. Yesterday, I started getting the calls again (I recently made a reservation at a Hampton Inn) so I called again and they said that I was not on their "do not call" database but they would put me on it. I doubt that will happen. These people are aggressive, lying sales people who prey on Hilton customers.

I can't even imagine how much dollar I would have wasted if I tried booking something through them. Who knows if I've only donated the $160; so far, might be more before it's over.

One month later, when I chose to make my reservation, I was told that my choice on the beach is no longer available.

I then made reservations for another hotel on the beach, and later received a confirmation on a regular Hampton Inn far from the beach and far from the hotel I chose. I once again selected another hotel on the beach and was told that there is an additional charge of $99.00 a night. When I said this was "bait and switch" and displayed my outrage, the attendant said the up-charge of $99.00 will be waived.

When I spoke to the 888 number the next day, I was told that my conversation and contact don't exist in their records. Stay away!

We have the letter that was sent to confirm our vacation. Nowhere does it state there will be any additional charges. They claim it was stated on the original sales call and they have it recorded, but they will not play it for us since they claim it is Hilton property. They have said that they will refund our $324.50, and I am still waiting. I warn anyone to stay away from this offer. It was bad enough to agree to pay to listen to a sales presentation, but to be charged double the initial offer is criminal.

She was very concerned that that I called the Hilton Honors customer service number (where Hilton Grand Vacations Club HGCV obtained my information and phone number to make the offer) to express my concern that I had been scammed by HGVC. She assured me that this was no scam and that I would shortly receive a written confirmation of the reservation with an itemized billing. Well I finally received a letter dated January 7, 2011 (almost 6 months after HGVC charged my credit card) providing a reservation number and the dates of the stay with emphasis of the agreement to attend the "preview" on the second day of our stay.

They also provided an address for the hotel which is the private street that the facility is built on. However this street is not available on any GPS systems ( at least not on 2 that I tried in the car) When I called the 800 number given to us in the letter, the operator stated that people always have trouble finding this street and she gave me an address of the adjoining street so we could find the hotel. Not included in this letter was any mention of the accommodations to be provided nor the itemized charges that totaled to $560.00 charged to my credit card back in July 2010! !

We arrived at the hotel late (10:00 PM) Monday evening and checked in and went to the room. Only to discover that the room was s studio unit and not a 1 bedroom suite. When we went to the front desk the next morning, I was told that we had a reservation for a studio unit and that nothing could be done to change that to a 1 bedroom suite.

On Wednesday we attended the "preview" for the time share vacation packages that were being offered to us on a "special deal". When I informed the salesman that we would not make any decisions until our attorney reviewed the contract and we reviewed the various time share purchase plans they were offering, he became very belligerent and stated that this discounted offer was only available if we signed up for it that day.

When I informed him that we were staying at this hotel for a week and I could fax the contract to my attorney and evaluate which spending package was best for us, he stated that he could not provide any copy of the contract for legal review and would not document the different "special deals until we signed the agreement. When I refused he left the table in a huff and had an assistant process the paperwork for us to leave the presentation. It is our (my wife and I) opinion that there is a lot of high pressure sale here and that any person going to any HGVC time share presentation should not sign any agreement until they have taken it home and reviewed it with an attorney.

I should have realized that when they said the offer was only good during that phone call conversation, that it was a red flag! I stupidly signed up for the deal. They never sent any material in the mail. They only emailed it; however it didn't come from Hilton Grand Vacations, but rather from some unknown name that always got caught in my spam box. I eventually got frustrated with the whole deal and forfeited the package and the $111.38. I wouldn't stoop so low as to stay in a time share or give them the satisfaction of me listening for two hours. I paid my "stupid tax" and will let others know not to get involved with Hilton Grand Vacations! On the negative side: I lost/forfeited the initial cost of $111. 38. I had to argue to get the $50 "extension fee" refunded. I experienced total frustration from feeling duped and having to deal with them. On the plus side, it will cost Hilton my future business and I'll use the Internet to tell others not to get involved with Hilton Grand Vacations (or Hilton Hotels if they're following-up hotel reservations with that kind of sales pitch!

I will not argue with Vegas about what they did or did not do; we are tired, frustrated, and will never recommend Hilton when there is no service to help. Our family has had constant problems that are now affecting the health (two cardiac events) of my 86 year-old-mother, Doris, who has done nothing but worry about the ramifications of this new contract! But no one is hearing what we have to say. If the CEO is the Big Boss then why can't he resolve our issues? We do not want to hear from this Mark I. on Monday.

We want action! We do not want another lecture about what we did--all our mistakes--is there no customer service? What happened to the customer being right? Just yesterday, 13 August, Doris and I, Dr. Mary, were on a Hilton call (one of many--folks in the Vegas office say they will call back on a day/time and then do not leaving us sitting close to the phone when we could be doing other things! ) with Serena G. who railed us on what we did back in Vegas last April (verbal vomit) and when we tried to raise issues to discuss Serena said "Let ME FINISH! " and rolled on over us! Serena was not present at the incident last April so how can she either know what happened or know how we feel about what happened. After being treated like a child (the details a normal, polite adult would not believe), after having her imply that I cannot read. I lost it saying "I do have a Ph.D., do you? " She exclaimed that she did not have to take abuse and I hung-up!

A Cassy D., also in the Vegas office on these issues on 2 June hung-up on me. The only civil person in the Vegas Office that I have worked on these issues is Ryan C. Is it so hard to understand that the three of us had a very negative experience and have been trying to resolve our problems with the up-grade and we need help! Why should we pay $600 to fix a clerical error the Sales staff caused, now the title folks called and they want $900. This up-grade was supposed to save us money and has done nothing but ding us for more and more and more. Doris is continuing to be billed on the original contact while being charged thousands on the up-grade! We cannot even find someone who has the entire billing records.