Hilton Grand Vacations Reviews

We have really loved it, because we know when we stay, we are going to have luxury accommodations. The service is always been wonderful for us. The one suggestion I could make for those who are just getting started using their timeshare is to invest plenty of time to plan out your trips and get the most for your time and money. We just recently stayed at the Elara in Las Vegas, and when I sent back a picture of our 1 bdrm. suite to our son, his comment was, "WOW The presidential suite?" We are SO happy we purchased with Hilton.

Anyone given the opportunity for this timeshare vacation needs to stay away. It is a rip off, promise you anything and give you something else. I was promised 20,000 points and the voucher was for 10,000 but still not awarded. The hotel voucher was to be for 3 nights and instead it was for 200.00 and only for one night at a Hilton. I have to pay for the room and then turn in the receipt for reimbursement. I doubt I will ever be reimbursed the way the rest of this came out. STAY AWAY, HANG UP THE PHONE.

DEC. 24, 2014 UPDATE: I got off the phone a few hours ago with a Hilton Grand Vacations Dispute Resolution representative. She was trying to "make nice" by offering to nail down my reservation for 9 months from now. I was told my reservation depends 100% on someone else cancelling bec all spaces are already reserved for 9 months from now. She said there are 250,000 Grand Vacation members, which means that if you want a reservation for a hot date (for example, most holidays, summer vacation months...maybe more) you MUST reserve way, way in advance. 250,000 members for 2,000 spaces in many places. Maybe smaller number of available spaces sometimes. THE BOTTOM LINE for me is that priceline.com will get luxury rooms in hotels (sometimes even Hiltons) for bargain prices close to the date of my trip. I do not know legal definitions, but it seems to me HGVC is a bait and switch operation. Who needs it?

What is the timeshare worth? I bought this right before my honeymoon and had planned to use the timeshare to cover the lion share of my accommodations. In fact, it only gave me a $200 credit towards my stay...just my stay, not my wife's. SO, I had to borrow points from my upcoming year just to get her a $200 credit. Then, I still had to pay over $500 a piece to cover the balance. I won't get into what I pay every month to own this, not including the astronomical yearly dues I pay for "upkeep" on a property I will never stay in. But, I can tell you, what I pay every month is MUCH more (per month) than a FULL YEAR'S worth of points.

Here's the big question everyone should ask when "investing" in property. I use the word "investing" because that's a huge part of their sales pitch. When buying a property, you should expect that there is some rate of APPRECIATION, right? As soon as I tried to use my points on my honeymoon, I realized how big of a mistake I had made. I called in to see how much my timeshare was worth if they bought it back from me...this is less than 2 mos later. They told me they would buy it back at 1/15 the price I paid for it! THAT’S WORSE THAN A CAR! How can you, in good conscious, sell something to someone for that price knowing is worth next to NOTHING less than 2 mos later?

Oh, and I am a Diamond member with Hilton who once also carried their credit card too. They tell you when you go to buy: "you can feel secure because we could never abuse our best clientele at out that at risk." Well, I am now a Marriott guy! Hilton is so short sighted because they lost ALL my business! For their instant gain in timeshare, they lost 200+ nights of my travel business (and my wife's) and over 75k in credit card purchases (work/personal). All in all at an avg nightly stay of let's say $150, they lost $30k in direct revenue. Add that to the $75k in CC expenditures, that's an annual total of $105,000! THAT’S JUST ONE YEAR! I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Do yourself a favor and just take their free swag, and TELL THEM TO GET LOST... like I should have.

I purchased it, a gold membership, (one week a year in Kona), thinking this would be my vacation every year. For two or three months I was at ease, thinking I would not have to make extensive arrangements for my yearly trip anymore, until I was trying to book it with HGV. I was either too late to book, or too early and had to wait to book it. Needless to say, I still have not been able to book a trip to this timeshare in 6 years! When I explained to their customer service representative that I had not been able to use it at all, and inquired about my points if perhaps I could use it towards another vacation, they told me I had lost them all. Every time they suggest other properties in different locations that I had no interest of going. This company does not care about the customer service. All they care is about their own profit. They sell every week to God knows how many people, but it does not stop them from charging me every year almost $1,400 for HOA.

To make the story short, that was my last trip to Hawaii - 6 years ago. Had I not bought into it, I would have kept on going to Hawaii and making my own arrangements without spending hours and hours trying to book a trip through the Hilton Grand Vacation which supposedly "it is my own home away from home". I would not be able to give them even 1/2 of a star.

My complaint is more with Hilton-- don't transfer just anyone making a reservation to these hard line phone sales people. Train your call staff better than that. It leaves a real bad taste in my mouth and I will probably look for other hotel chains to use in the future or will at the least book online where I can't be shuffled to the vultures! Seems very shady and shifty to me.

What are the options in regard to selling? Also, any suggestions how/who best to contact to discuss this with the company? There is no email address provided, and time difference make it difficult to call the generic number provided. Any advice appreciated.

We had no choice and agreed to Kings Land since we wanted to visit Hawaii again but had to sit in a "90" mins presentation that lasted for about 2 1/2 hours. The tag-team was obviously pissed when we did not purchased and I am so very happy we did not purchased. We arrived on 5 Sept very late in the night. Condo was nasty and service was less to be desired. Once it was known that you did not purchase---- well, you can figure the rest out.

I went ahead and booked the second weekend of August. When we found out in the middle of June that that weekend wasn't going to work, I called right away. Well, they charged us a change fee, and told us that they didn't have a weekend available for the rest of August or September. We were able to book the second weekend in October. Now, my husband has a work-related conflict that weekend, and they are unwilling to extend our deadline any further. They said they were going to refund us the $59 weekend fee, but we were going to forfeit the $279 "vacation" fee we had already paid because we couldn't stay on a date and time of their choosing. DON'T BUY THIS!! THIS IS A HUGE RIPOFF!!

He also neglected to tell me that if you do not meet the qualifications of this promotion or attend presentation during your vacation, the difference between the special package price and the current published nightly rate for the applicable resort at that time would be charged to my credit card. If I was told this information on the phone by the rep I would have never accepted this deal. I did call back immediately, spoke to a manager and stated by problem and got nowhere. I called their headquarters, left two voicemails and got no response. I have not booked this vacation and won't after reading all of the complaints. I wonder how many people have lost $197 dollars of their money to this company.

I talked to her about my husband's work schedule and decided I would find a Fri-Mon airline ticket. About three days later I found tickets for November. I booked a week prior to the holiday and coming in on a Friday and leaving Monday. I then called the company back to give them the dates I wanted to stay. All sounds pretty simple right? Well, my first contact told me that they didn't have any rooms available except a one room. Ok fine there is only two adults but she said it was a special room and would cost additional $25 a night. I said no way, the last person who took my credit card and charged it said that I had no black out dates and this wasn't a holiday so I was not going to pay extra.

They went away for a bit and came back and said they are going to waive that charge as a courtesy BUT are charging me a $49 night fee for a weekend stay. I said how could that be, the last rep said I just can't check out on a weekend, stay over Sunday and that solves the weekend problem. She told me I had to check in on a Thursday, but I said how could that be if it was a 3 night stay? I would have to leave on Sunday which the last rep, and the conversation was recorded according to the first person I talked to, so that information was a lie. The bottom line is it's all lies from the get go. I thought I was prepared. I already purchased my $700 two airline tickets. So I called my credit card company to reverse the $222 charge. I then looked at tons of reviews and realized I got taken for a ride. I booked at another hotel for our stay and used points I had on an American Express, and got the room for free for three nights, so now I can use my airline tickets without guilt.

I also looked on the website of the Hilton Grand Vacations Vegas hotel and you can get a room for $116 the same nights I was requesting, so at a rate of $222 for 3 nights and $25 they wanted to upcharge me and then add another $49 on top of that, I would have paid more for this hotel than I could get online and have to listen to a timeshare salesperson. It's not a good deal by any means. Save yourself the lies and stay at another hotel. I have been a Hilton honors member and American Express Hilton points member for many years. I feel like cancelling anything to do with Hilton from now on, all because of $222. I can't believe they would want to lose a great Hilton Customer over this whole ordeal. It is all very disappointing.

So when I came to check in, I was surprised to hear that we are actually staying at a 3-minute drive away hotel called Hilton Palisades. I though 'Ok, it can't be too bad.' I was wrong. The room was small for our family of four with young children, and the bathroom was very outdated, remind me of Motel 6 in the college days. The lady also said even though we won't be able to see the ocean but we will have our own little cove by the swimming pool. The truth is, our room is next to a parking lot. In the morning, the trash truck come over and was very loud! Talk about been lie to, since we will be at Legoland all day and I don't want to use any time wasted on room than my son's birthday celebration, I let it go.

Needless to say, from that point, there is No Way I am going to buy a timeshare from Hilton. If you are going to sell people something, the least you should do is let the costumer experience the product. Test drive, right? Not shove them into some small room next to a parking lot with view of bushes and cars. But since I already sign on the presentation, my husband and I showed up the next day to listen to the whole sales pitch. After 3 hours of talking, I said No, and sooooo glad I did. I don't want to spend that kind of money until I understand everything how it works.

To be pressured that you buy right there just not working for us, also every time you call in for reservation, they charge you $59, and they also charge you when you cancel, and nobody can guarantee you that you get the two bedroom suites you bought everywhere you go. Also the HOA is $2500 a year and keep going up. I think I can use that money and the initial $78,000.00 dollars in much better ways than this. Timeshare is not for us, but what gets me is how they lie to get you in, and all sorts of ways to make you purchase things that doesn't make any sense and when you tell them about it, no one is listening!

Anyway, I hope this helps people out there who are still thinking about the timeshare adventure. To me, it's a lot of trouble and headache, so Please be careful what you are getting into.

After his getting to know our travel needs, we went upstairs to view one of the units. It was nice enough but honestly, nothing special. We then ended up back at George's desk where we were introduced to David who gave us the numbers. Since I am retired military, they the best deal at of 3400 points (every other year) for just $13,900 and $1900 down (give or take a few bucks). I would give the exact amounts but they won't let you take any written offers with you. Oh and they threw in another 3400 points the first year to sweeten the pot.

Since the offer was for a unit in the Elara, I asked to see the actual unit. They brought a limo over and we took the long ride down the strip. This didn't seem like the norm for them to do but I think they thought I was hooked on buying and wanted the sell. The Elara units were much better and the location of the hotel is ideal if you like the downtown Vegas life.

As we toured the Elara hotel, I started searching the internet for reviews and complaints about Hilton timeshares. Before that point, I had not done my homework but now my wife was interested in that idea and I had to get some facts before we got roped into something. They made it sound like such good deal and you are getting a deed that is yours, an investment. Well, the search returns were many and most of them not favorable. I knew better than to sign up for anything without doing additional research. I shared these results with George and his attitude changed a bit. He offered a few more points but he could see I was not going to change my mind. He worked on the wife a bit but that didn't work either.

The next fella that came in was the Quality assurance guy who wanted to know how we were treated and how the stay was. He then tried to sell us a one-week stay for $1795 at one of 7 or 8 resorts. We didn't fall for the trick and were given our tickets for dinner and a show (which were good) and a $200 voucher to a future stay at a Hilton hotel. I haven't tried to use it yet but from what I'm reading on here, it may be hard to use.

I crunched the numbers and just couldn't get the numbers to equate to any savings over a 10-year period. If I bought the $14,000 deed and pay the $500 a year maintenance fee that equates to $19,000, plus $52 each booked stay. Let's make things easy and say it's an even $20K. So I stay at a hotel one week a year over 10 years that equates to me paying $285 a night. If I really stay frugal with my points (3400 every other year) and say I can stay a few more trips, I still don't get much better. Bottom line: The math just doesn't work for me. I can't see how it works for anyone but I leave it to you to do your own math. If you are young and have a lot of years to travel and routinely take vacations, then maybe it will work for you.

All in all I had fun in Vegas and would take the trip again if the time was right. At the beginning of the seminar, George said there would be NO high pressure sales. I guess they have a different perspective of what is high pressure sales. I can see how some can make an emotional buy thinking they are getting a great deal. Be aware and beware! Before going on any timeshare sales pitch, understand what you will be faced with. They will wow you with free food, drinks, perks and all sorts of great sounding deals. I suggest you talk with your spouse about it before even showing up and make sure you both know what to expect. A cheap stay at Vegas might be worth setting through a couple hour presentation but don't fall for the sales pitch.

Bottom line, this is a bad idea, the whole situation was a mess and didn't really get the stay we were told we would. We stayed in an alternative room. Old and not all items worked. Avoid the scam and stay at a Marriott. I know I will from now on. Hilton was dishonest in their advertisement and response times as promised.

We scheduled our trip for July, got a call from the representative a few weeks before, and they seemed glad we had really made our arrangements. We made it to the hotel, got a fairly nice room, friendly staff, clean area, no issues. Enjoyed our time, scheduled our sales pitch time, got our game faces on, and made our plan to not buy. Sat down with a nice young man named Matt and got the intro, saw a movie, and to the computer we went. It was the usual questions: how much do we vacation, how much do we pay, blah blah, the usual stuff. We do these enough to know the pitch, and armed with information from the Consumer affairs site, the BBB site, and just regular comments, we had the knowledge available to us to know that this is not something we would be interested in. I let the salesman know upfront about my gathered information, and he accepted it fairly well. There was no hi-pressure, there was no feeling of guilt or obligation, there was just a couple staying at their facility at a really good rate.

Look, the bottom line is this: If you want a timeshare, find one you like. But if you buy one you're not happy with, STOP WHINING! It's not the sales staff's fault that you're stupid. Take responsibility for your own actions. I know it's the American way to want to blame everyone but yourself for all of your ills, but it's not the sales person job to protect you. It's your job to protect you! And if you fail with that, suck it up, move on, and try to never screw yourself again in the future! Me, as a self aware American, take responsibility for my own actions, and yes I've made mistakes before, but unless it's real criminal activity that I had no control over, I blame myself, not someone else (especially a salesman) for my own stupidity. If it's real criminal activity that caused you to suffer your loss, get them, ruin them, take litigation on them, or whatever it takes to get retribution. But none of the complaints I've heard so far don't even come close to that, so it's on you.

We had a great time, did well at the tables, and got an excellent deal in exchange for 2 1/2 hours of time. It was worth it, and I'm all over the next sales call for that next special deal!

Well, it turns out both those statements were complete lies. We have not received any documentation and, according to the sales staff, we have a mortgage payment to make this month. It has been well over 2 months. I've made a dozen phone calls to the numbers provided, left many messages and not a single response. I now face the possibility of perfect credit ruined by a late mortgage payment because of these people. I would not recommend dealing with Hilton Grand Vacations if you value your credit or money. My wife and I are both going to unload something that we were actually wanting to do because of this experience. If you can't keep a customer that wants your product happy just 2 months after a sale, how do you think you will be treated years into it? No matter what they tell you, the sale seems to be all they care about. Do yourself a favor and stay away from Hilton Time Shares.

My sister-in-law's husband looked through the RCI book and mentioned how the places in the towns he normally stays at were blocks away from where he normally stays & Hud got angry & said, "You're going to argue over a few blocks?" Yes, location does matter when you are used to certain conveniences that you already paid for. While listening to the pitch, I was in my phone Googling prices to certain places listed on their lists & found I could get them cheaper on my own.

In both instances, a 2nd guy came out trying to intimidate us into buying... at 17.5% interest! When we both refused, we were both hit up by a 3rd guy who was so nasty & told us how ridiculous it was that we wanted to talk about this outside of the room... It was make the decision now or kiss the offer goodbye (Who in their right mind would buy into this?). Several hours later we met a couple in Downtown Disney who were in line for dinner behind us. We came to find out that they bought into HGV last year and still couldn't use it and they tried selling and were offered 1/3 of the price they paid last year. The husband said he has been through the wringer with the people from HGV & has gotten nowhere.

We are thanking our lucky stars we saw through their gimmick & my sister-in-law said thanks to HUD, he just proved how much better the DVC really is! None of us will ever stay at a Hilton again. Oh, as far as the horrible hotel they put us in, they laughed about it. These sales guys are the pond scum of our society. Stay away - all lies - they just take your money & laugh all the way to the bank. Talk to an investment adviser - you can invest very little money & earn more for many years of vacations to come!

HGVC would only put us in the Hilton Grand, which is 2 miles north of all the prime Las Vegas hotels, restaurants and entertainment. Their Customer Care department is very cold as the people are trained to dump you into the less desirable properties. We are simply caught with a non-refundable voucher that offers none of the flexibility implied at the time of sale. I guess we will take our 20-30 room nights per year to another brand with a conscience. We are extremely surprised that Hilton would tarnish their lodging reputation by operating this timeshare hoax. However, we're the lucky ones since we were never subjected to the actual TimeShare sales tactics.

We had to sit through a presentation and I knew that it wasn't for us. The video they show is typical highlighting their best properties. No impressed!!! I see myself as a luxury bargain shopper and especially in Las Vegas I can get the best for close to nothing by just shopping online and/or being a member of a hotels players club. Donna the sales representative did her best to make us believe that it was a "no brainer" to spend 20,000.00 on a timeshare having ownership rather than just take vacations and "get nothing". I'd rather sink that money into my home and get something real. However, Donna tried to sell us on the importance of being fully committed annual travelers. Let’s face it, there are some places where being out and about is more important than being in your room.

They calculate the cost of a two week vacation and multiply that by x amount of years. I think that's where they get a lot of people. If you don't catch what they're doing you'll be suckered in. They leave out all the different fees, like the maintenance fees, booking fees, cancellation fees, and no real assurance you'll get the booking at the property of your choice. The purchasing of a timeshare may have worked years ago when there was less access to information. With a competitive hospitality industry, and numerous comparative travel sites, I could not possibly consider having the huge debt of a timeshare weighing me down. Take my advice, don't make any spur of the moment decisions. If you really want a timeshare, do your research. You'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Needless to say... we ended up booking our vacation with our current timeshare. I thought I would give this to my oldest daughter to use...Of course not. You can't get a refund nor give it to someone else. Just recently we decided we would take another vacation in October... so, I thought I would give it another try. Well, this time they say that we only have a studio room for 2 and would have to upgrade to a one bedroom at an additional $75 a night!! AND once again... they said that it would NOT be at the Anderson Ocean Club... it would be at a regular hotel! However, we would have our 3-hour presentation at the Anderson!

Really??? And you honestly think I would even consider purchasing anything when they can't even accommodate your initial reservations!!!!??? I asked to speak with a manager...which she was even more frustrating... This whole process was a waste of money... and even more... a waste of time compared to my hourly rate!!!!!!!!! Although I really do like the Hilton Hotels... I would NEVER recommend anyone having anything to do with their timeshares. I will be telling EVERYONE I know... luckily I know people from all over the world ;-).... about this ordeal and help save them from such a horrible experience!!!

Also, I was told that I would still get the Hilton points (money towards a nights stay) if I could't go but when I cancelled the trip I was told that I would not get them.

One day, we forgot to pull it tight and the door was ajar the whole day while we were out. Hilton has a major ownership in the Trump and wants to manage it. Well good for them. Because we were only staying 3 nights, we were told at check-in that there would be no maid service. Okay, no big deal. Had a lovely time in Vegas. Saw the Hoover Dam. Went to the 2-hour presentation. Sat with Michael ** (won't give his whole name). Very fast talker. His first question was what I thought timeshares were all about. I explained and they said that was the "old" time share concept, but Hilton has a "new" concept. It's all about options. He asked how I vacationed. I explained that I take 1 cruise per year and take 1 tour of a country per year. I do not stay in 1 hotel for more that 2 nights. I like to travel around and see the country, NOT stay in one place and do days trips around the area.

Well, I could purchase a 1-bedroom at Elara for $20k and would have all the perks of a condo/resort plus I would earn points and with these points I could get lots of discounts for cruises, airfare and hotels. He said the traditional timeshare would not benefit me. Neither would using the condo/resorts, unless I decided to stay an extra night or two before or after my trip. He suggested that I use my points to better take advantage of the Hilton Options and get deeply discounted airfares and cruises. He wasn't all that familiar with that end, so he brought over Mona to help out, because she was into that end of things.

Mona was a cruiser herself and we chatted a little. I explained that I didn't see how Hilton was going to benefit me, but I was open to suggestions and explanations. Mona asked what was my next cruise. I gave her the info and while she looked it up on the computer she asked how much the cruise was costing me. Well I only put down a down payment and didn't have the specific numbers with me, so I gave her a number that I had in my head. Unfortunately, the number in my head was for the total trip: the airfare, the hotel for the night before (I like to arrive a day early when travelling outside the US, just in case, I do not want to miss the boat!), the taxes, gratuities and the cruise. She showed me where it would cost me 2500 points and $2300.00 per person for the deeply discounted cruise using my points.

Well, 2 times $2300 is $4600 and that's a lot less than I'd be paying on my own. I had various other questions, which were all answered. Then we went to the closing. Signed my life away and am now an "owner". All in all, I was there for just over 4 hours. I'm detailed and I like to ask questions. Leave Vegas and fly back home and decide to look at my cruise info. The price I'm paying is $2300 per person. How is this benefiting me?? Let me call and ask. In all the 5 reams of paperwork that I have, I do not have a business card from Michael, nor Mona nor any contact numbers for customer service. How odd. But miraculously I did have a phone call from Roma, who did the closing, on my answering machine asking me to sign and return a form that she emailed me, because she neglected to have me sign it at the closing.

Well I went crazy with Roma's number and talked to several people, including Human Resources, leaving various messages. No one ever got back to me, but I'm persistent. I kept calling and hitting "0" for immediate assistance, driving a good portion of the HGVClub phone center crazy. I finally was transferred to Michael's voice mail and left a message for him. Haven't heard back from him yet, but he may be off. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. I finally did get a hold of Roma, poor thing, and asked about cancelling. Since I'm within my 5-day Right to Rescind period, she helped me find the form, complete it and gave me the necessary instructions.

I overnighted it this morning and am now a happy former owner. No one got back to me - and I did NOT leave any angry messages - they were very pleasant and calm messages. No reason to "lose" them. I'm sure this a great way to vacation for some people. I just didn't get how this would benefit me. I did get the feeling that Michael was not pushy and would have been okay with me no matter what I decided. Mona basically lied to me for the sake of a sale. If she was really a cruiser, then she knew that it was not deeply discounted. I should have known better, but with all this information and numbers coming at me, I failed myself. I do think that they use all the information to overwhelm people. I can't imagine that after spending a large chunk of money that they "forgot" to include business cards. What were they thinking? That I might have a question and call them up? Duh. Isn't that customer service? Buyer beware. If it sounds too good to be true, guess what? If you have to sign today and today only, guess what? I really was open to suggestions and was willing to see how a timeshare at Hilton could benefit me. Maybe that is my problem - I wanted it to work. Lesson learned.

Almost 6 months to close? C'mon... my house took less than a month, and my cars took 1 day. They've already taken $3,000 from us too. Oh and that $200 voucher? I actually figured out how to use it... the HILTON in Atlanta was SO BAD that the manager sent me a free 2 nights stay (for real this time) all inclusive for meals, etc. Now that was great and all, but do they really think I would ever set foot back into their hotel? Uhh, no. I still have yet to receive my refund that's "still processing." All in all, I'm retaining an attorney, and I will take HGVC to court. Will it cost more? Likely so.

However, it is the PRINCIPLE of this whole thing that pisses me off to no end. FYI, if you want to sue and can't afford an attorney, go to your state//local courthouse website(s). There you can find free Q&A, seminars, classes and even pro-bono attorneys (assuming your in the awesome government bracket). I hope everyone reads this before being taken by HGVC!!!

Now that I have this huge financial burden, my actual experience has been that my points allowance will only provide a 2-bedroom unit in the Silver Season, which is considered the off-season for all resorts. However, I pay the full maintenance fees on a 3-bedroom unit since this is what I was sold. That maintenance fee is $300 more per year than what I was quoted - including the years I do not receive any points. I cannot even use the package for a Hilton Grand Vacation property as I had planned. This year, I used the RCI Timeshare site to get a 2- bedroom unit during busy season but had to pay additional fees outside of the normal fees. I could have received the same package on Expedia for much less.

Also during the sales presentation, I inquired about selling the property back if it didn't work for me. I was told that the properties at Myrtle Beach were in high demand and Hilton would purchase the property back if I no longer wanted it. I have had the package for less than one year and just inquired about selling it back. I was told that the value of the property is less than half of what I owe for it. Hilton would charge me a 25% fee to purchase it back in addition to me paying up front the difference of what I owed and the estimated sales price. This amount would be worth 5 years' of vacations booked directly through a travel agent.

It doesn't stop there... I visited the Las Vegas property earlier this year and attended another sales presentation where the salesperson emphasized what a poor deal I had been sold and confirmed that what I was told was not true. Also, he verified that the points I received were not enough to actually utilize the program. He advised me to convert all Hilton Grand Vacation points to Hilton Honors points and utilize the hotel reservation site instead. What??

I received a follow-up call from a Corporate salesperson the other day asking me to purchase the points for the odd years I hadn't purchased originally. When I expressed my frustration with the entire package, he reviewed the information and agreed that the package I was sold was not what I had expected, and he would never have sold me a 3-bedroom unit with the highest maintenance fees. I could convert the deed to a 1-bedroom unit for the same amount of points EVERY YEAR and the maintenance fees would equate to what I was paying now every other year. However, in order to do this, it would cost me another huge amount of money. I am stuck with this decision, but I am hoping to dissuade anyone out there from making the same mistake. These salespeople will lie and use extremely manipulative sales tactics to get you to sign up for their program. Please do not fall for their scam.

In other words, oral representation means nothing, and it's all based on thoroughly understanding their website (which you won't have access to until about 30 days) which is way past the point you can void the contract. They will tell you things in the presentation that sound very nice, and if you question anything, they will tell you what you want to hear (again, knowing that oral representation means nothing). FOLKS... Trust me and all the other people who have made complaints about HGVC... This is a scam. Yes, the properties are nice, but you can stay at them without being a club member for not much less.

Are there charges for making each reservation and higher charges to change or cancel a date? (We were not told that.) Are the reservations hard to make? We plan on staying in NYC sometimes, but like the idea of staying lots of different places, US and abroad. And we would probably stay at regular hotels, not the Clubs, b/c we just want a room, and the points go much further ... right? Their numbers look like you get 50 times more points by giving up breakfast, happy hour, fitness club and business center at a Club. Why would people do that?

Our price was $58900 for 5250 club points or $11.24 per point. Other offers on here work out closer to $6.50 a point -- what's up with that? (In NY, we were told all members pay same price.) Will you share YOUR $ per point price? I also have figured out that you probably pay room tax for your stay, which at our hotel, through Expedia, would have been $53.35 a night. I can take that, BUT it really changes the calculation of out-of-pocket costs for vacation vs. Club investment.

I, like others, thank you for the info and would love to get reactions to my questions from current members using the Club program.

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.